Catherine Noone (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome members and the viewers who may be watching the proceedings on Oireachtas TV. This is the first public session of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution. Under its terms of reference, the joint committee is obliged to report to the Dáil and the Seanad within three months of its first public meeting, which is today. At the request of the broadcasting and recording services, members and visitors in the Public Gallery are requested to ensure that for the duration of the meeting their mobile phones are turned off completely or, depending on the device used, switched to airplane, safe or flight mode.

On behalf of the committee I extend a warm welcome to Ms Justice Mary Laffoy, the current chair of the Citizens' Assembly. I also welcome Ms Sharon Finegan, secretary, and Ms Gráinne Hynes, deputy secretary of the Citizens' Assembly, both of whom will assist Ms Justice Laffoy in the question and answer session with members. The witnesses are very welcome and I thank them for attending.

Before we commence proceedings I must begin with some formalities and advise our witnesses on the matter of privilege, which no doubt they are aware of, but I am required to do it. By virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence they are to give to the joint committee. If, however, 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 are 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 ruling of the Chair 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.

The Citizens' Assembly was a good exercise in getting ordinary citizens together to highlight the changes that they, as a representative sample of the people, see as necessary in this most difficult and divisive area. I commend Ms Justice Laffoy and the assembly on the work they have done on behalf of the people. It is now over to the political system to analyse the recommendations and to see whether these should translate into changes to the Constitution, which would then underpin new legislation. In doing that, we as a committee will have to look at issues such as creating long-term legal certainty in this area, which will be a huge challenge.

I call Ms Justice Laffoy to address the committee, and I thank her for attending.