Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the delegates to the meeting. The submissions received and a summary paper have been circulated to members in advance of the meeting. The format of the meeting will be that each group will make brief introductory comments not exceeding three minutes, after which we will proceed directly to a question-and-answer session.

I remind everyone that all mobile phones must be switched off. 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 joint committee. If they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and continue to so do, they are entitled thereafter only to qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. They are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise nor make charges against any person, persons or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her, them 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 Houses or any official by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable. That is the technical stuff I must read out on each occasion.

I will now call on the representative of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul to make some brief comments, followed by representatives from Barnardos, the Simon Communities in Ireland, Respond!, Threshold and Focus Ireland. I ask witnesses to try to keep their comments to three minutes and will stop them at three minutes because I intend this to be a question-and-answer session if at all possible. We will start with Mr. McCafferty, representing the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, who has three minutes.