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

We will now meet the Commissioner for Victims and Survivors, Ms Kathryn Stone OBE. It is not the first time the committee has met Ms Stone. Some of us met informally last May. We welcome her back and appreciate her being here. We are looking forward to her informing us about the work of the commission in promoting the interests of victims and survivors. I also welcome Mr. John Beggs, secretary to the commission, who is accompanying the commissioner today. We look forward to hearing about their ongoing valuable work.

Before I invite Ms Stone to make her presentation, I wish to advise that they are protected by absolute privilege in respect of utterances. However, if they are directed to cease making remarks on a particular matter and continue to do so, they are entitled thereafter only to a qualified privilege in respect of his or her evidence. They are directed that only comments related to the subject matter of this meeting are to be given and are asked to respect the parliamentary practice that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against a Member of either House of the Oireachtas, a person outside the Houses or an official by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable. I now call on Ms Stone to proceed with her presentation.