Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

We suspended before lunch for a brief recess. We will proceed with item No. 9 on today's agenda, the third review by the Information Commissioner of reports on section 32 non-disclosure provisions under the Freedom of Information Act 1997. I welcome the Information Commissioner, Ms Emily O'Reilly, who is accompanied by Mr. Stephen Rafferty. The meeting will proceed with Ms O'Reilly making some opening remarks and we will follow up with a question-and-answer session.

I advise the witnesses 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. If you are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence in respect of 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 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 to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the House or an official in such as way as to make him or her identifiable. Having said that, I call on Ms Emily O'Reilly to make her opening statement.