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

We are now dealing with No. 8, the overview of the credit union sector and review of implementations of recommendations and the Commission on Credit Unions report, the credit union advisory committee report 2016. Mr. Des Carville and Ms Deirdre Aherne are very welcome to the meeting. I ask members and those present to please turn off their mobile phones. 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. 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.