Chairman:

I welcome from the Irish Cattle and Sheep Association, Mr. Patrick Kent, president, Mr. Eddie Punch, general secretary, Mr. Seamus Sherlock, chair of rural development, and Ms Neassa Fitzgibbon, press and communications officer. I thank them for coming to engage with the committee today in respect of the upcoming budget.

By virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence you are to give this committee. If they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence in relation to 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 persons or entities by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.

I ask Mr. Kent to make his opening statement and, as with the other groups, I ask him to keep it to within 12 minutes if possible.