Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Ms Pauline McCabe is the Northern Ireland Prisoner Ombudsman and will talk to the committee about that role and its context today. She will also discuss the rights of prisoners in Northern Ireland and the reform process within prisons there. I advise members that the Prisoner Ombudsman is fully independent of the Northern Ireland Prison Service and her task is to carry out investigations arising from prisoner complaints to her office. The independence and impartiality of her office is paramount to its effective functioning. As such, Ms McCabe is not in a position to comment on specific individual cases. I ask members to bear that in mind in their questions. I am also aware that the ombudsman has had some contacts with the Prison Service here in the South and I would welcome hearing her ideas on cross-Border co-operation and issues of shared concern for both jurisdictions.

Before I call on Ms McCabe to make her presentation, I advise her and Mr. George Richardson, director of operations of the Northern Ireland Prisoner Ombudsman, that they are protected by absolute privilege in respect of utterances at this committee. However, if they are directed by the committee to cease to make remarks on a particular matter but continue to do so, they are entitled thereafter to only a qualified privilege in respect of their remarks. They are directed that only comments and evidence related directly to the subject matter of this meeting are to be given and they are 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 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 call on Ms McCabe to make her presentation. The committee is very appreciative of the fact that she has given her time to attend. From reading background information, I understand that Ms McCabe is involved in very sensitive work. We appreciate that. Her organisation is looking forward to having more statutory functions in the next year. We look forward to her analysis in that regard.