Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The committee is in public session. We have received apologies from Senator Aideen Hayden. I remind everyone to turn off mobile telephones and iPads as they will interfere with the recording equipment. Putting them on silent is not good enough.

The first item on today's agenda is a discussion on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's review of foreign policy and external relations. On behalf of the joint committee, I welcome Ms Marie Cross, the former assistant secretary at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Dr. Pat Ivory, the head of EU and international development at IBEC. Dr. Ivory is accompanied by Mr. Erik O'Donovan, Ms Paula O'Dwyer and Mr. Adrian Farrell. The joint committee has considered the Department's review of foreign policy and trade. We look forward to hearing our witnesses' views on this issue. Today we have the opportunity to hear two very distinct voices on these issues. D. Pat Ivory, the head of EU and international development at IBEC was previously the director of the Irish Dairy Industries Association and assistant director of Food and Drink Industry Ireland. Ms Marie Cross is a former assistant secretary at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and during her long career in that Department, she served as Ireland's ambassador to the Czech Republic and as ambassador and representative of Ireland to the Political and Security Committee of the European Union. Ms Cross is currently the chairperson of the Future of Europe Group at the Institute of International and European Affairs.

Before we begin, 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 or body outside the Houses or an official either by name or in such a way that he, she or it could be 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. If they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence in respect of a particular matter and they continue to do so, they are entitled thereafter only to a qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. They are asked to respect the practice that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against any person or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.

As agreed, I now invite Ms Cross to address the committee.