Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

We will resume in public session. I welcome the representatives from the Irish College of General Practitioners. We are joined by Dr. Brendan O'Shea, director of the postgraduate resource centre, Dr. Brian Osborne, assistant director of the postgraduate resource centre, Dr. Mark Murphy, chair of the communications committee, and Dr. Laura Noonan, director of the network of establishing general practitioners. They will present us with a briefing on the management of chronic care illness. I thank them all for coming.

I wish to advise the 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, however, 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 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 entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable. Members are reminded of the long-standing ruling of the Chair 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.

I invite the witnesses to make their presentations.