Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As there is no other business, we will proceed to No. 7, the examination of the Comptroller and Auditor General's Special Report No. 94, the National Asset Management Agency, NAMA, sale of Project Eagle. Session A is with representatives of the Comptroller and Auditor General and a later session will include people from NAMA. The meeting will be in two parts and because of the size of the report and significance of the conclusion, during the first part of the meeting the Comptroller and Auditor General will present his report to the committee, with the committee having an opportunity to put questions to him on the considerable detail in the report. Following this, representatives of NAMA will be before the committee.

I wish to advise the witnesses that by virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to this committee.

However, if they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and they continue to do so, they are entitled thereafter only to qualified privilege in respect of that 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. Finally, 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 House or an official by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

I invite the Comptroller and Auditor General, Mr. Seamus McCarthy, to make an opening statement on his Special Report Number 94: National Asset Management Agency's sale of Project Eagle. I remind everybody to please turn off their mobile phones. I ask members, witnesses and the people seated in the Gallery to switch their phones to flight mode. I call Mr. McCarthy.