Peter Mathews (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the following officials from the Department of Finance: Mr. Aidan Carrigan, Mr. Tony Gallagher, Mr. Des O'Leary, Mr. Fergal Ó Brolcháin and Ms Niamh Campbell. I look forward to their presentations and the opportunity to discuss with them the issues arising. Mr. Carrigan will be invited to make his opening statement, which will be followed by a question and answer session.

I remind members, witnesses and those in the Visitors Gallery that all mobile phones must be switched off. I advise the witnesses that by virtue of section 17(2)(i) of the Defamation Act 2009, they are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to the committee. If you are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and continue to do so, you are entitled thereafter only to qualified privilege in respect of your evidence. You are directed that only evidence connected to the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, you should not criticise or make charges against a person or persons or an entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable. Members are reminded of the long-standing ruling of the Chair that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the Houses of the Oireachtas or an official by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.