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

Anyway, he sends apologies. Obviously he would prefer to be here, but he cannot be. I welcome Elizabeth Harkin, public relations officer at Omagh District Council, and I wish to acknowledge her work and her role behind the scenes in her day-to-day job as well as her day-to-day facilitation of this process.

Regional development in the Border areas is vital to ensuring long-term economic benefits for the island as a whole. Today we will be discussing in particular the A5 road project and the potential avenues to progress the project and keep it live and on the minds of the people who are in a position to move it forward.

Before I invite the witnesses to make their presentation, I advise them that they are protected by absolute privilege in respect of utterances. However, if they are directed by the committee to cease making remarks on a particular matter and they continue to do so, they are entitled thereafter only to a qualified privilege. They are directed that only comments in respect of the subject matter of this meeting are 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 a Member of either Houses 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.

Without further ado, I call on the cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council, Councillor John Campbell, to proceed with his opening remarks.