Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Today we are meeting in public session Mr. John Ging, director of the operational division at the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA. On behalf of the committee, I welcome you here today and look forward to hearing about your work with the OCHA in co-ordinating a global humanitarian response, humanitarian financing, policy development and humanitarian advocacy. This committee recently heard presentations from members of Dóchas and Médecins sans Frontières on their work in these areas in Africa and Yemen, particularly regarding famine, and they presented to us first-hand accounts of the unimaginable suffering that people are going through on a daily basis. Indeed, it seems that every week we hear of desperate and indescribable cases where urgent humanitarian assistance is required, not only in Africa, but also of course in the Middle East, in the Mediterranean, and up to the shores of Europe. We also have under-reported and forgotten crises in other areas.

We are very glad, Mr. Ging, that you were able to join us and I apologise for the meeting being delayed due to votes in the Dáil Chamber. We hope to be also joined by other committee members. Some other committees with which we have an overlap of membership are currently meeting as well. The format of this meeting is that we will hear your opening statement, before going into a question and answer session with members of the committee.

Before we begin may I remind members, witnesses and those in the public Gallery to ensure that their mobile phones are switched off completely for the duration of this meeting, as even on silent mode they cause interference with the recording and broadcast equipment in the committee room. I also remind members of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or makes charges against a person or body outside the Houses, or an official, either by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable. 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 joint committee. If they are directed by the Chairman to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and continue to do so, 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 they are asked to respect the parliamentary practice that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against any person or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable. Mr. Ging, I call on you to make your opening remarks.