Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Mr. Barry Andrews, CEO of GOAL to discuss GOAL's programmes in South Sudan. I also welcome his colleague, Conor Elliott. We will have an opening statement and then we will take responses from the members - we usually bank a number of questions. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Before we begin, there is the usual reminder in relation to mobile phones. I ask members to disconnect them. Silencing them is not enough as they continue to interfere with the broadcasting system. 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 or her identifiable. 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 joint committee. If they are directed by the Chair to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and they 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 they 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. I welcome Mr. Andrews.