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

The draft minutes of the meeting of 6 May 2015 have been circulated. Are the minutes agreed? Agreed. We now move to our meeting with four interest groups to discuss the persecution of Christians. We are meeting the Council for Justice and Peace of the Irish Bishops' Conference, led by the chairman, Bishop John McAreavey, who is accompanied by Ms Áine O'Reilly and Fr. Timothy Bartlett. We are also meeting Trócaire, which is represented by Ms Noreen McGrath Gumbo, head of humanitarian aid, Church in Chains, which is represented by Mr. David Turner, director, and Mr. Davood Mahmoodnezhd, trustee, and Open Doors UK and Ireland, represented by Ms Zoe Smith, head of advocacy.

I welcome the witnesses and thank them for attending to discuss a subject which has been aired repeatedly at the joint committee in recent times. The format of the meeting will be to take opening statements from each group first. As their written submissions have been received, the witnesses might synopsise them. After we take the submissions, we will have questions from the members. The issues raised will then be brought to the attention of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and its Minister. I remind witnesses, members and those in the Gallery to ensure their mobile phones are switched off or set to such a status that they do not interrupt the proceedings.

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 House or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

I draw the attention of witnesses to the fact 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 the committee. However, 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 a 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.

With that citation out of the way, I call on Bishop John McAreavey to make his opening statement.