Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of the joint committee, I am pleased to welcome Mr. Nigel Frith, a director of the Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education and principal of Drumragh Integrated College; Ms Cliodhna Scott-Wills, the council's senior development officer, and Mr. Jake Proctor, a student at Strangford Integrated College. They are here to represent the Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education. I also welcome Ms Tina Merron, chief executive officer of the Integrated Education Fund, and Mr. Paul Caskey, the fund's campaign director. They are here to discuss the proposals for current and future integrated education.

Members are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice or ruling of the Chair to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the Houses or an individual official 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 committee. If they are directed by it to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and 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 and asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against any person or an entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.

I ask Mr. Frith to make his opening statement, followed by Ms Merron.