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

We shall resume in public session to deal with Item 5 of today's business, a pre-ECOFIN briefing for November 2013. I welcome the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, and his officials. The format for the meeting will be that the Minister will make some opening remarks which will be followed by a question and answer session. I remind Members, witnesses and those in the Visitors Gallery that all mobile telephones must be switched off.

I remind 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. However, if they are directed by it to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and continue to do so, 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 they are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against a person 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 Houses or an official by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable. I ask the Minister to make his opening remarks.