Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

In session No. 2 we will have a discussion with Mr. Frank McDonald. We are focusing on the theme of relationships between State authorities, political parties, elected representatives, supervisory authorities, banking institutions and the property sector.

I welcome Mr. McDonald, a former journalist with The Irish Times. He commenced his journalistic career as a freelance New York correspondent for the Irish Press , subsequently becoming a sub-editor and reporter for the paper. He joined The Irish Timesin 1979. He was the environment correspondent from 1985 to 2000 and environment editor until his official retirement in January of this year. Mr. McDonald is also author of several books, including The Destruction of Dublin, Saving the Cityand TheConstruction of Dublin. He is joint author with Peigin Doyle of Ireland's Earthen Housesand with James Nix of Chaos at the Crossroads, published in 2005, which documented the environmental destruction of Ireland during the boom years. He is joint author with Kathy Sheridan of The Builders, which profiles the developers and others in the Celtic tiger period.

In recognition of his work, Frank was conferred with an honorary doctorate by Dublin Institute of Technology in 2006. He was made an honorary member of the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland of 2010 and an honorary fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 2011 and an honorary life member of the National Union of Journalists in 2014. Mr. McDonald is very welcome to the inquiry this morning.

I advise the witness 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 they continue to so do, 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. The witness is asked to refrain from discussing named individuals in this phase of the inquiry. 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 outside the Houses or any official by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

I invite Mr. McDonald to make his opening comments to the inquiry.