Chairman:

I welcome from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Mr. Aidan O'Driscoll, Secretary General; Mr. Paul Dillon, assistant secretary; Mr. Brendan Gleeson, assistant secretary; and Ms Kay Ryan, principal officer. I thank them for coming before the joint committee to brief it on the priorities of the Department. I bring to their attention the fact that witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence they are to give 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. 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. I ask Mr. O'Driscoll to make his opening statement.