David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As we have a quorum, we shall commence the meeting in public session. Apologies have been received from Deputy Ann Ferris and Senator Mulcahy. As this meeting is being broadcast live, I would ask those present to switch off their mobile phones or put them on aeroplane mode so that they will not interfere with the broadcasting systems here.
Deputy John Paul Phelan has been discharged from this committee and Deputy Fergus O'Dowd is his replacement. I want to put on record, as I am sure the members will agree, our thanks to Deputy Phelan for his service to the committee and I welcome Deputy O'Dowd to the committee.
The purpose of the meeting this morning is to engage with a number of those who have made a written submission on the issue of gangland crime. This is the start of work we are doing on this. Deputy Finian McGrath has agreed to act as rapporteur on this issue and the briefing has been circulated.
I welcome Ms Patricia Flynn from the Association for Criminal Justice Research and Development, ACJRD, Ms Suzanne Vella, Mr. Gerry McNally and Mr. Mark Wilson from the Probation Service, Ms Anna Quigley from the Citywide Drugs Crisis Campaign, and Mr. Dermot Gough and Ms Marian McKenna from the Dublin North East Drugs Task Force. I thank them for giving of their time and expertise to assist us in this work today. We really appreciate that.
The format, as per usual, is that I will invite the witnesses to make a brief opening statement, if possible, as close to but not more than five minutes, which will be followed by a question-and-answer session with members. I suggest we might do something a little different today. I held a discussion with Deputy Finian McGrath before we started. I suggest each member would ask three questions initially and if he or she wants to come in a second time we can go around again rather than have a member feel that he or she must ask ten questions at the beginning and will not get in a second time.
Before we begin, I draw the attention of witnesses to the position on privilege. By virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to the committee. However, if 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 should also be aware that under salient rules of the Chair 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 ask Mr. Gough to make an opening statement.