Chairman:

I very much welcome our guests from the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, its chairperson, Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring, and the commissioner, Ms Carmel Foley. I understand they are joined in the Visitors Gallery by Ms Lorna Lee, communications officer. The purpose in this part of the meeting is to have an engagement with Ms Justice Ring on the priorities and challenges for GSOC in the coming years. The joint committee has identified a review of An Garda Síochána and GSOC as one of its priorities in this short 2016 work programme period. On its behalf, I thank Ms Justice Ring and her colleagues for attending. The format of the meeting is that she will be invited to make an opening statement which will be followed by a question and answer session.

Before we begin, I draw attention to the fact that witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence they are to give to the committee. If, however, they are directed by it to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and continue to do so, 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. Members should be aware that, under the salient rulings of the Chair, 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.

I invite Ms Justice Ring to make her opening statement.