Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We are now going to hear from representatives of Justice for the Forgotten to discuss their work to support those affected by violence in Northern Ireland. On behalf of the committee I am pleased to welcome Ms Margaret Urwin from Justice for the Forgotten, who is accompanied by Ms Anne Cadwallader of the Pat Finucane Centre, the author of the recently-published bookLethal Allies: British Collusion in Ireland. I acknowledge the presence of several people who have joined us in the Visitors Gallery, who are representing some of the families affected by violence in Northern Ireland. We have Kevin and Catherine O'Loughlin, Bernie McNally, Bernadette Joly, Thomas O'Brien, Noel Hegarty, John Byrne, Derek Byrne, Alan White, Monica Duffy-Campbell, Pat Fay and Raymond Walker. You are most welcome to today's meeting.
Before I invite you to make your presentation I advise that you are protected by absolute privilege. However, if you are directed by the committee to cease making remarks on a particular matter and you continue to so do, you are entitled thereafter only to a qualified privilege in respect of your remarks. You are directed that only comments and evidence in respect of the subject matter of this meeting are to be given and you are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, you do not criticise or make charges against a Member of either House of the Oireachtas, a person outside the Houses or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable. Without further ado I call on Ms Urwin to proceed with her opening statement.