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

I now propose that we return to public session is that agreed? Agreed. 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? At our next session we will hear from Mr. Sean Mulryan, founder of Ballymore Group. This is one of several sessions in which the inquiry will focus on the relationships between property development companies and our principal financial institutions.

Sean Mulryan is an Irish property developer and the founder and chairman of the Ballymore Group, a Dublin-based international property development company. Since its foundation in 1982, Ballymore grew into one of Ireland's largest home builders. Ballymore also sought opportunities outside Ireland and is now established as one of the top developers in London. Mr. Mulryan you are very welcome before the committee this evening. I'd also give our apologies for the running a ... delay in schedule this afternoon and for any inconvenience that caused. I'd like to offer you the committee's sympathy in that regards.

Before hearing from the witness, I wish to 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 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, these documents will be displayed on the screens to your left and right and members of the public and journalists are reminded that these documents are confidential and they should not publish any of the documents so displayed.

The witness has been directed to attend this meeting of the Joint Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis and you have been ... submitted a witness statement. This is before the committee and will be relied upon in questioning and form part of the evidence of the inquiry. So with that said, if I can now ask the clerk to administer the oath to Mr. Mulryan please.