Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Will those present check their mobile telephones and ensure they are switched off? It is no good switching them to silent mode because they can still can interfere with the broadcasting equipment. The five presidents' report, Completing Europe's Economic and Monetary Union, was published in May. We are delighted today that Mr. José Leandro from the European Union Commission will talk about this report. The report sets out a timeframe and a process to complete economic and monetary union through deeper economic, financial, fiscal and political union. The report references the role of national parliaments in the context of ensuring democratic accountability. President Juncker's cabinet is seeking a reaction to the plan, particularly from members of national parliaments. We will spend time in the next couple of months looking at the plan. Today is the first of a number of meetings that we hold on this subject. As members will remember, the committee has published two political contributions on different aspects of economic and monetary union in both 2013 and 2014. Of course, they relied heavily on our experience of the economic crisis.

Today we will hear an outline of what the five presidents' report entails and proposes over the next number of years. I welcome Mr. Leandro and Mr. Graham Stull to our meeting. Mr. Leandro is a director for policy strategy and co-ordination in the directorate general for economic and financial affairs of the European Commission. He is an adviser to President Juncker and is responsible for the preparation of the five presidents' report. He will brief members on the report.

Before we begin, I also wish to remind members of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not criticise or make charges against a 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. However, if they are directed by the Chairman to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and they continue to so do, they are entitled thereafter only to a 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 to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against any person, persons or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.