Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am aware that this is a busy morning for members. As well as being obliged to attend other meetings, a number of them are due to be present in the Chamber. We are meeting earlier than is normally the case. The only item on the agenda is our engagement with His Excellency, Mr. Néstor Osorio, Ambassador of Colombia to Ireland, who is accompanied by the deputy head of mission, Mr. Juan Manuel Uribe. The format of the meeting will be that we will hear a brief presentation from the ambassador which will be followed by a question and answer session.

I am delighted to welcome the ambassador and the deputy head of mission. The ambassador has had a distinguished career. When I met him last night, he told me that he had been Colombia's permanent representative to the World Trade Organization and the United Nations in New York, where he was president of the Security Council during Colombia's membership of it in 2011 and 2012. He is resident in London. One day his country and ours will have resident ambassadors in Dublin and Bogotá, respectively, which would make a great difference.
Mr. Osorio has started his first visit to Ireland well, having presented his credentials to President Higgins yesterday. I congratulate him on his appointment as ambassador to the United Kngdom and Ireland. This visit has been engaging and he has covered a wide range of activities, reflecting the engagement with Latin America. This is important for us, as the region has significant potential. Ireland has many historical links with it and we recently opened a new consulate general office in South America, on which I am sure the committee will focus further.
The ambassador has had a busy week. Last Tuesday he launched a specially produced book written in Spanish and English at the Irish Writers Centre in Parnell Square entitled, Ireland/Colombia: 20 Poems, which was written by Irish and Colombian writers. His presentation yesterday in the library of Trinity College Dublin on Gabriel Garcia Marquez and world literature was appreciated. He has also met many companies and focused on trade. This morning he met the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Richard Bruton. It has been a great start to his first official visit to Ireland. There is a growing market, with major prospects for trade between our two countries and Mr. Osorio's visit recognises the potential of our relationship with Colombia.
The ambassador will brief the committee on the issues obtaining in Colombia following the presidential elections. The committee has focused on Colombia in recent years. Deputy Eric Byrne visited the country earlier this year and I visited it with the then Deputy Michael D. Higgins three or four years ago. Colombia has had a terrible century and at times was on the brink of falling. Long-standing social injustices, underdevelopment and poverty generated by terrorism have been impacted on by a drug-fuelled business. However, Colombia has come a long way. Mr. Osorio will update us on the issue of human rights, as well as the victims' law and land restoration law, just two steps the Colombian Government has taken in its progress. He may also update us on FARC and the meetings in Havana. The European Union has responded to this development by negotiating a free trade agreement with Colombia and Peru that is provisionally in effect. Such agreements are the European Union's strongest instrument in encouraging social and economic progress among partner countries. We know that the situation is not perfect, but Colombia has come a long way, particularly in terms of human rights, as acknowledged by the UN human rights commissioner. We look forward to hearing the ambassador's comments.
Before we start, I remind members and those in the Visitors Gallery to ensure that their mobile phones are switched off completely for the duration of the meeting, as even when left in silent mode, they cause interference with the recording equipment in committee rooms. I also 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 as to make him, her or it identifiable.
By virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their utterances at the committee. However, if they are directed by the Chairman to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and continue to do so, they are entitled thereafter only to qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. They are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against a person or an entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.
I invite the ambassador to begin. I am sure he has much to tell the committee.