Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The meeting is now in public session. No apologies have been received.

This is a special meeting with the Vice President of the European Commission. It is a great honour for this committee to have the opportunity to engage with the EU Commissioner for Transport, Mr. Siim Kallas, and I hope I pronounced the Commissioner's name properly.

As we all know, on 1 January 2013 Ireland will assume the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the seventh time. It is notable that the Presidency will coincide with the 40th anniversary of Ireland's accession to the then European Economic Community in 1973. Clearly, Ireland will have a significant role to play in influencing the agenda of the EU during that six-month period. The overarching priority for the Presidency will be to support a range of measures to secure sustainable economic growth and job creation, restore macroeconomic stability and enhance economic governance within the European Union.

During the Irish Presidency of the EU, the Houses of the Oireachtas will host eight conferences of committee chairpersons meetings commencing in January 2013 with the final conference taking place in June 2013.

These will include two meetings of the committee of the Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of the European Union and also the conference of the chairpersons of the sectoral committee such as employment and enterprise, agriculture, communications, energy and education. It is proposed to hold a meeting of the chairpersons of the communications, education and transport committees in June 2013. The subject matters that may be discussed are the digital agenda, broadband and an intelligent transport system.

I am delighted to welcome the Commissioner for Transport, Mr. Siim Kallas, to Leinster House. I am sure I speak for my colleagues when I say how honoured we are that he has chosen to come before the committee. I trust that he had a pleasant time this morning with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Leo Varadkar. The commissioner is accompanied by Mrs. Desirée Oen, a member of his cabinet, and Mrs. Barbara Nolan, head of the European Commission Representation in this country.

I must advise Mr. Kallas that, by virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to the committee. However, 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 Member of either House, a person outside the Houses or an official by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable. I also advise Mr. Kallas that the opening statement he will make to the committee and the proceedings of the meeting will be published on the committee's website.

Members of the committee are reminded 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 by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable. I now invite Mr. Kallas to make his opening statement.