Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As we have a quorum we can commence the meeting. The first item we are dealing with is the minutes of the meeting of 28 March. Are they agreed? Agreed. There is a presentation from Dr. Alyne Elizabeth Delaney and Dr. Stephen Hynes, so I welcome Dr. Delaney from the innovative fisheries management research centre at Aalborg University in Denmark and Dr. Hynes from the socioeconomic marine research unit at the National University of Ireland, Galway. I thank them for taking the time to travel and giving their time to be here this morning.

The sub-committee wants to get an academic view and we are all aware of the various reports carried out by the witnesses, some of which relate to the issues this sub-committee has identified for discussion. We look forward to hearing their views. As the witnesses may be aware, the joint sub-committee was established to focus on the community's socioeconomic position and promoting sustainable industry; the main industries identified by the sub-committee are aquaculture, island and coastal fisheries, inshore fisheries and specifically angling, as well as tourism.

Before beginning I draw the witnesses' attention to the matter of privilege. 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 you are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and 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 are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, you should not criticise or make charges against any person or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable. Members 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 either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable. I call on Dr. Delaney to make her opening remarks.