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

So I now propose that the committee return back into public session. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Okay. And this afternoon's session is a public hearing with Mr. Terence O'Rourke, former managing director, KPMG, and Mr. Paul Dobey, partner, KPMG Financial Services. The Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis is now resuming in public session and can I ask members and those in the public Gallery to ensure that their mobile devices are switched off. Today, we continue our hearings with senior auditors who had roles during and after the crisis. This afternoon, we will hear from witnesses from KPMG: Mr. Terence O'Rourke, former managing director at KPMG and Mr. Paul Dobey, partner, KPMG Financial Services.

Terence O'Rourke was managing partner at KPMG from 2006 until his retirement in April 2013. He was a member of KPMG's global board, global executive team and EMA board from 2007 to 2013, head of audit, KPMG, from 2003 to 2006, and audit partner from 1988. Mr. O'Rourke was appointed chairman of Enterprise Ireland in August 2013. Mr. Dobey is a partner in KPMG Financial Services. He has been with KPMG since 1987 and became an audit partner in 1998. He is currently the AIB audit partner in KPMG.

Mr. O'Rourke and Mr. Dobey, you're both welcome before the inquiry this afternoon. And before I commence proceedings, 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 you are directed by the Chairman to cease giving evidence in relation to a particular matter and you continue to so do, you are entitled thereafter only to a qualified privilege in respect of your evidence. You are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given. I would remind members and those present that there are currently criminal proceedings ongoing and further criminal proceedings are scheduled during the lifetime of the inquiry, which overlap with the subject matter of the inquiry. Therefore, the utmost caution should be taken not to prejudice those proceedings. Members of the public are reminded that photography is prohibited in the committee room. To assist the smooth running of the inquiry, we will display certain documents on the screens here in the committee room. For those sitting in the Gallery, those documents will be displayed on the screen to your left and right, and members of the public and journalists are reminded that these documents are confidential and that they should not publish any of these documents so displayed. The witnesses have been directed to attend the meeting of the Joint Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis. You have been furnished with booklets of core documents. These are before the committee, will be relied upon in questioning and form part of the evidence of the inquiry. So if I can now ask the clerk to administer the oath to you.