Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome our guests. The very important 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, COP21, is to take place in Paris soon. I warmly welcome Mr. Jim Clarken, Oxfam Ireland, Mr. Oisín Coghlan, Friends of the Earth, Ms Anja Murray, Stop Climate Chaos, and Mr. Jerry Mac Evilly, Trócaire. We need only look at this morning's weather and the amount of rain falling to know exactly how our climate has changed. It is a timely meeting, in advance of COP21 and the 11th session of the COP serving as the meeting of the parties of the Kyoto Protocol, CMP11, which will take place from 30 November to 11 December in Paris. We will hear a presentation from each member of the delegation and will then have a question and answer session.

I remind members, witnesses and those in the Gallery to switch their mobile phones off for the duration of the meeting because they cause interference with the recording equipment, even in silent mode. 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 House 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 committee. However, if they are directed by the committee 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.