Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation with responsibility for business and employment, Deputy Gerald Nash, and his officials and thank them for coming before the joint committee to brief us on the general scheme of the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill 2014 and outline the rationale for the provisions contained therein.

Witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence they are to give to the committee. However, if they are directed by it 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 any person or an entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable. Members are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the Houses or an official, either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

I call on the Minister of State to make his opening statement. Members will then be called on to ask questions on each head. They are reminded, when asking questions, that they should state the number to which they are referring.