Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Mr. Tim Duggan, assistant secretary, and Ms Helen McDonald and Robert Nicholson, principal officers, and from Age Action Ireland, Ms Corona Joyce, senior policy officer, and Mr. Gerry Scully, senior information officer. I will invite each of our witnesses to make their presentations to the joint committee. Members will then be invited to address their questions to the witnesses and they are reminded to confine their first round of questions to five minutes. If possible, I will come back to them at the end.

I wish to draw to the attention of witnesses the fact that by virtue 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 the committee to cease giving evidence in relation to a particular matter and they continue to so do, they are entitled thereafter only to a 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 nor 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 House, or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

At the request of the broadcasting and recording services, witnesses and those in the Public Gallery are requested to ensure that for the duration of the meeting their mobile phones are turned off completely or switched to airplane mode.

I invite Mr. Duggan to make his opening statement.