Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Apologies have been received from Deputy Bobby Aylward.

Today the committee will continue its examination of the Comptroller and Auditor General's Special Report No. 94, on the National Asset Management Agency, NAMA, and its sale of Project Eagle. Project Eagle was the code name given to the sale of NAMA’s Northern Ireland loan portfolio. To date, we have met with representatives of NAMA, the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan and his officials, and Mr. Brian Rowntree, a former member of NAMA’s Northern Ireland advisory committee, NIAC. We have also met three members of the current board and other senior NAMA officials. We are joined the Comptroller and Auditor General, Mr. Seamus McCarthy, as permanent witness and he is accompanied by Mr. John Riordan, deputy director.

Our main witness today is deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, Mr. Martin McGuinness, MLA. Mr. McGuinness has been in his current role since 2007. His communications regarding NAMA's sale of its Northern Ireland portfolio are of particular interest to us. He is accompanied by Mr. Mark Mullan. I welcome the deputy First Minister to the Houses and to thank him for making himself available to the Committee of Public Accounts to assist in its examination of the Comptroller and Auditor General's report.

I remind members, witnesses and those in the Public Gallery to turn off all mobile phones, not just to silence them. They must be on aeroplane mode, otherwise they interfere with our recording facilities. I 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. If you are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence in relation to a particular matter and you continue to so do, you are entitled thereafter only to a qualified privilege in respect of your evidence. You are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and you are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, you should not criticise nor make charges against any person, persons or entity, by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.

Members are reminded of the provisions within Standing Order 186 that the committee shall also refrain from enquiring into the merits of a policy or policies of the Government or a Minister of the Government or the merits of the objectives of such policies. Members are reminded of the long-standing ruling of the Chair to the effect that members should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the House or an official by name in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.