Pat Casey (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This is our second session of pre-legislative scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2018. On behalf of the joint committee I welcome from Threshold, Mr. John-Mark McCafferty and Mr. Gavin Elliott; from the Irish Property Owners Association, Mr. Tom O'Brien and Ms Margaret McCormick and from the Union of Students in Ireland, Mr. Michael Kerrigan and Ms Amy Kelly. As previously agreed by members, we will not hear an opening statement from the witnesses as the submissions from the witnesses have been read by members in advance of this meeting. Instead, we will go straight to questions from members.

Before we begin, I wish to draw the attention of witnesses to the fact that by virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, they are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence they are to give to the committee. However, 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 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. They are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against any person, persons or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable. Members are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice 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.