Aideen Hayden (Labour) | Oireachtas source

The joint committee is back in public session for an overview of the banking sector in Ireland and this meeting is open to the public. I welcome to the meeting Mr. David Duffy, chief executive officer of Allied Irish Banks, AIB. Mr. Duffy is accompanied by Mr. Mark Bourke, chief financial officer, Mr. Bernard Byrne, head of personal, business and corporate banking in the Republic of Ireland and Mr. Brendan O'Connor, head of the financial solutions group. The format of the meeting will be that Mr. Duffy will make some opening remarks. In advance of the meeting, we collated questions from members of the committee and submitted these to Allied Irish Banks. I thank Mr. Duffy and his staff for responding in writing to them, particularly promptly I might add. These responses have been distributed to members and together with the input of the witnesses today, I hope that all the key topics will have been covered. Nonetheless, a question-and-answer session will follow the presentations to clarify any outstanding matters.
I remind members, witnesses and those in the Visitors Gallery that all mobile telephones must be switched off because they interfere with the broadcasting of proceedings. I note the joint committee also is joined by its secretariat, namely, Kieran Lenihan, Noeleen Kelly and Eoin Hartnett, and I thank them for their work in preparing the documentation for this overview of the Irish banking system. This is the final session in this round of engagements regarding the banking system and I thank the secretariat for its work.
I wish to advise the witnesses that by virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to this committee. If they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and continue to do so, they will be 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 are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against any person, persons or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.
Members are reminded of the long-standing ruling of the Chair to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person or persons outside the Houses or an official, either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.
After Mr. Duffy has made his statement, the format of the meeting will be that the chief spokespersons initially will be given ten minutes, with five minutes for members and then five minutes for anyone else. I will remind anybody present of this once Mr. Duffy has concluded his opening remarks. Before Mr. Duffy commences and on behalf of the joint committee, I thank him for appearing before members today. I now invite him to make his opening statement.