Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I remind members to switch off their mobile phones. It is not sufficient to leave them in silent mode; they must be switched off or they will interfere with the broadcasting equipment. This includes iPads.
On behalf of the joint committee, I welcome Ms Catherine Day, Secretary General of the European Commission. I thank her for coming before the committee to discuss the role of national parliaments in the European semester process and the annual growth survey 2014. She was born in Dublin and has worked at the European Commission since 1979. During a very successful career she has covered the full spectrum of European policy areas. This meeting will give her the opportunity to elaborate on the role of national parliaments, particularly those of the euro area countries. We must now formulate our economic policy in co-ordination with other European Union countries and no longer in complete isolation. This has the potential to create complete economic union and it includes the annual European process for economic policy consideration and governance. This meeting gives us an opportunity to speak to Ms Day and ask her for her views on the European semester process, how it has worked to date and what changes she expects to see in the near future.
I remind members of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the Houses or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable. 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 subject 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 or make charges against any person or an entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.