Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The purpose of the next part of the meeting is to engage in a discussion with representatives from the Employment Appeals Tribunal on its response to the report of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Blueprint for a New Workplace Relations Service. I welcome from the Employment Appeals Tribunal Mr. Noel Dowling, chairman; Mr. Peter O'Leary, vice chairman; Mr. John Horan and Mr. Jim Dorney, both lay members. I apologise for the fact that we were obliged to keep our guests waiting.
Before we begin, I remind members of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the Houses or an official, either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable. By virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to this committee. If they are directed by it to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and continue to do so, they are entitled thereafter only to qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. They are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against a person or an entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.
I ask Mr. Dowling to make his opening statement on the report of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Blueprint for a New Workplace Relations Service.