Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We will resume in public session. Is that agreed? Agreed. I welcome, to our second session this morning, representatives from Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, and, in particular Mr. Fred McBride, chief operations officer; Mr. Cormac Quinlan, interim director, policy and strategy; and Ms Siobhan Mugan, interim national manager for adoption.

I remind witnesses that by virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, they are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to the committee. If they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and 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 are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not, where possible, criticise or make charges against any person or entity by name or in such a way as to make them identifiable. Members have already been reminded of their positions regarding privilege. I ask Mr. McBride to make his opening remarks.