John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Mr. Jerry Beades, chairman, Friends of Banking Ireland; Ms Jackie Lavin and Mr. Bill Cullen, Premier Cars; and Mr. Séamus Ó Muilleaneoir, chairman, Public Banking Forum of Ireland. I remind members, witnesses and people in the Gallery to turn off their mobile phones as they cause interference with the sound quality and transmission of the meeting.

By virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to the committee. If they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and they continue to so do, they are entitled thereafter only to a 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 they are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against a person or persons or an entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.