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

The purpose of this meeting is the consideration of the six-monthly EU scrutiny report of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, in particular the smart regulation agenda, COSME, Horizon 2020 and state aid modernisation.

I welcome Mr. John Murphy, Secretary General of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, and his colleagues to the meeting. He is accompanied by Mr. Philip Kelly, assistant secretary, corporate services, EU affairs and trade policy; Mr. Tommy Murray, principal officer, EU affairs and Internal Market; Mr. Gerard Monks, principal officer, trade policy; and Mr. Paul Cullen, principal officer, industrial relations.

The committee considers these interactions with the Department on EU issues very important in the context of Parliament's enhanced role in EU affairs following the Lisbon treaty. This engagement today is also particularly relevant as Ireland now holds the Presidency of the EU Council.

Members are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that members should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the Houses, or any official by name in such a way as to make him or her readily identifiable. By virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence they give to this committee. If you are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence in relation to a particular matter and you continue to so do, you are entitled thereafter only to a qualified privilege in respect of your evidence. You are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is 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 any person, persons or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable. I ask Mr. Murphy to make his presentation to the committee on the six-monthly EU scrutiny report.