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

In the second part of today's meeting we will hear from Mr. David Donoghue, former Permanent Representative to the United Nations. Mr. Donoghue is very welcome to today's meeting. He has joined us on many previous occasions, most recently in 2015 in his role as co-facilitator in the negotiations on sustainable development goals. On behalf of the joint committee, and indeed the Oireachtas, I congratulate him on the work he undertook to ensure a successful outcome to those negotiations and the establishment of the SDGs. He recently retired from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and I wish him well on his future endeavours.

The conclusions and recommendations of the review currently being undertaken by this committee will feed into the Department's recently announced review, making our current series of meetings both timely and extremely relevant. The format of this engagement is that we will hear Mr. Donoghue's opening statement before going into a questions and answers session with the committee members.

I remind members, witnesses and those in the public gallery to ensure that their mobile phones are switched off completely for the duration of the meeting as even on silent mode they cause interference with the recording equipment in the room. I also remind members of the longstanding practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make 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 they 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 to the effect 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.

I call Mr. Donoghue to make his opening statement. I am watching the monitor here as I am due to speak in the Dáil chamber. If I leave the Chair during Mr. Donoghue's contribution, it is not out of any disrespect.