Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have received apologies from Deputy Kelleher and Deputy Ó Caoláin, who could not be present for this session. I remind members and witnesses to ensure that their mobile telephones are switched off or put on flight mode for the duration of this meeting, as they interfere with broadcasting equipment.

This is the second session of the meeting the Joint Committee on Health and Children has convened to examine the issue of concussion in sport in Ireland. I welcome to our second session Dr. Adrian McGoldrick, senior medical officer at the Turf Club and the Irish Jockeys Association; Mr. Ruud Dokter, high performance director with the FAI; Dr. Alan Byrne, Irish senior soccer team medical specialist with the FAI; Ms Barbara O'Connell, CEO of Acquired Brain Injury Ireland; Ms Karen O'Boyle, communications manager with Acquired Brain Injury Ireland; and Mr. Michael Darragh Macauley, Acquired Brain Injury Ireland champion and prominent inter-county footballer. I thank the witnesses for their attendance at this meeting. As I said at the beginning of our last session, this is part of a series of work being carried out by the committee on the issue of concussion, which we hope will lead to a report from the committee on the issue.

I call on Ms Barbara O'Connell to make her opening remarks.