Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I remind members of the committee and people in the Visitors' Gallery to ensure their mobile phones are switched off for the duration of the meeting as they cause interference, even in silent mode, with the recording equipment.

On behalf of the committee I extend a warm welcome to the ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran, His Excellency Mr. Hossein Panahiazar. I hope I got the pronunciation right as I rarely call him by his surname. He is accompanied by Mr. Mahdi Babakazemi, third counsellor at the embassy in Dublin. I sincerely thank the ambassador for accepting our invitation so promptly. The committee has asked him here to discuss a number of issues that have been raised by visitors to the committee or by way of correspondence and we look forward to hearing his views on these. The matters the committee has signalled it wishes to discuss are: Iran's nuclear programme and the associated sanctions, which is an important topic at present and dominates the news headlines; reports that anti-Semitic comments have been made by the Vice President of Iran; the organisation known as the People's Mujahideen Organisation of Iran and related issues of Camp Ashraf; and the protection of human rights in Iran, including the rights of adherents to the Baha'i faith. We would also like to discuss broader issues, including bilateral relations between Ireland and Iran - we consider that extremely important as well - and the prospect of developing a trade relationship. The ambassador has been working extremely hard over the last year or so to encourage trade between Ireland and Iran, and a number of delegations from the educational and agricultural sectors have come from Iran in recent times with a view to improving trade with our country. That is very important.

Before inviting you to make your presentation, I wish to advise you that you are protected by absolute privilege in respect of utterances at the committee. However, if you are directed by the committee to cease making remarks on a particular matter and you continue to do so, you are entitled thereafter only to qualified privilege in respect of your remarks. You are directed that only comments and evidence relating to the subject matter of this meeting are to be given and you are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, you should not criticise or make charges against a Member of either House of the Oireachtas, a person outside the Houses or an official by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable. I invite you to address the committee.