David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Apologies have been received from Senator Tony Mulcahy. I want to apologise for the delayed start to the meeting. There was a Vote in the Seanad and we waited for our colleagues from the Seanad to arrive back. That is the reason we suspended.
The purpose of the meeting is to have a discussion with a number of people who made written submissions on the review of the effectiveness of legislation relating to the oversight of An Garda Síochána. On behalf of the committee I am very pleased to welcome Baroness Nuala O'Loan. She was the first Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, a post she held from 1999 to 2007. She is very welcome. I thank her for being here today and giving us her time and expertise.
I welcomeMs Noirín O'Sullivan, Acting Garda Commissioner, and her team. I also welcome Mr. Ronan Brady, lecturer in journalism, Griffith College, Dublin and thank him for being here.
The format of the meeting is that witnesses will be invited to make an opening statement which will be followed by a question and answer session. I ask witnesses to keep their opening statements as brief and to the point as possible. It would be very much appreciated if they could keep them to around five minutes or thereabouts.
I wish to advise all members, witnesses and observers in the Visitors Gallery to please turn off all mobile telephones or switch them to aeroplane, safe or flight mode, depending on the device.

It is not sufficient to put them on silent mode as this will maintain the level of interference from the committee and impacts negatively on broadcast. If, in the course of proceedings, there is interference I will ask everybody to switch off their mobile telephones completely or withdraw from the room because it is very annoying for people in television and broadcast to have to endure such interference.

Before beginning I draw the attention of all witnesses to the position in regard to privilege. I ask witnesses to note that they are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to the committee. However, if witnesses are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and they continue to do so, they are entitled thereafter only to a qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. Witnesses are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and they are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against any person or persons or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable. Members should be aware that under the salient rulings of the Chair, they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the House or an official by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

I invite Ms Nuala O'Loan to make her opening remarks.