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

As we have a quorum, the Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis is now in public session. Is that agreed? Agreed. Can I ask members and those in the public Gallery to ensure that their mobile devices are switched off. We begin today's session 1 of our public hearings with Mr. Denis O'Connor and Mr. Aidan Walsh, partners, advisory services, PwC. In doing so, I would like to welcome everyone to the public hearing of the Joint Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis, and at our first session this morning, we will hear from witnesses from PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Mr. Denis O'Connor and Mr. Aidan Walsh are partners in PwC. Both Mr. O'Connor and Mr. Walsh were key figures in the preparation of the PwC Atlas reports and reviews on Irish financial institutions for the IFSRA. Mr. O'Connor and Mr. Walsh, you're very welcome before the committee today.

Before hearing from the witnesses, 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 do so, you are entitled thereafter only to a qualified privilege in respect of your evidence. You're 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. 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 witnesses have been directed to attend this 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 with that said, if I can now ask the clerk to administer the oath to both Mr. O'Connor and Mr. Walsh, please.