John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I call the meeting to order. No. 7 is engagement with the chairperson designate of Sport Ireland. The purpose of this morning's meeting is to engage with the chairperson designate of Sport Ireland, the body charged with the merged functions of the former Irish Sports Council and the National Sports Campus Development Authority, to discuss the proposals to take, if and when appointed to the role, and his views on the challenges currently facing the body. We are all by now very well aware of the Government decision in May 2011 which put new arrangements in place for the appointments of persons to State boards and bodies.

Reference to this arrangement is also made in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform guidelines on appointments to State boards of November 2014. The committee welcomes the opportunity to meet with the chairperson designate, Mr. Kieran Mulvey, and to hear his views. We trust this provides greater transparency to the process of appointment to our State boards and bodies. On behalf of the committee, I welcome Mr. Kieran Mulvey, whom most members will know well from previous appearances before the committee.

I draw attention to the fact 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 the committee. However, if witnesses 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 a qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. Witnesses are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and 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. I also wish to advise that any submissions or opening statements witnesses have made to the committee will be published on the committee website after the meeting. Members are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the Houses or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.