Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The joint committee still is in public session and as the Minister is arriving, we will move onto the next part of the meeting after allowing a moment for the Minister and his team to settle into the committee room. We now will continue with the next part of the meeting, which is the main reason members are in attendance today. I welcome warmly the Minister, Deputy Charles Flanagan, and his team before the joint committee. The joint committee had an opportunity last week to commend the work done at Stormont by the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Sherlock, and to acknowledge the success of the Fresh Start agreement in Northern Ireland. Members thank the Minister sincerely for ten hard weeks of negotiations in Belfast into which he put much time and effort. I congratulate him for this as well.

Today's meeting is timely, as an number of issues to be discussed today were considered at the recent Foreign Affairs Council meeting and I am sure they also will form part of the central proceedings of future meetings. I am sure members have many questions to ask in respect of the current situation globally. I refer to the Paris attacks on 13 November, the downing of a Russian aircraft yesterday, the situation with the migrants and the world trade talks coming up in Africa and there is a lot on the agenda in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade at present.

I will get down to business. The same format as previously will apply for today's meeting. The Minister will make an opening statement after which we will go into a question-and-answer session with members of the joint committee. I thank all members who have turned up for today's meeting and note they have done so in large numbers. Before I start, I remind members, witnesses and those in the public Gallery to ensure their mobile telephones are switched off completely during the meeting as they cause interference with the recording equipment here in the committee rooms even when in silent mode. Today's meeting is being broadcast live on Oireachtas TV across the various media platforms.

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.

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 it to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and continue to so do, they are entitled thereafter only to 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 asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against any person or an entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.

I welcome the Minister and thank him for appearing before the committee.