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

Today, we will hear from Enterprise Ireland on trade links with ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The purpose of this meeting is to provide a greater understanding of trading between the ASEAN countries and Ireland and the possibility of further inroads in developing trade with this market of more than 600 million people.

I remind members and those in the gallery to switch off, destroy or otherwise deal with their mobile phones, as they cause interruptions to the broadcasting system.

I remind members of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against any 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 Chairman 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 that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against any person or entity by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.