Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

We will now resume to consider the topic of developing a plan to capture the full value of our genealogical heritage with our witnesses from the General Register Office, GRO, and the Central Statistics Office, CSO. I welcome to the meeting Mr. Kieran Feely, director general of the GRO, and Mr. Pádraig Dalton, director general, Mr. Joe Treacy, director of information technology and corporate services, and Ms Deirdre Cullen, senior statistician census of population, of the CSO. I thank them for their attendance.
I will now read out some technical procedure, if witnesses might give me a couple of minutes. I wish to draw their attention to the fact, by virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to this 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 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 or it identifiable. I also wish to advise the witnesses that the opening statements and any other documentation they submit to the committee may be published on its website once this meeting has finished. Members are reminded 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.
Will the GRO or the CSO give the first presentation? I ask Mr. Feely to address the meeting.