Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 19 September 2018

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality

General Scheme of the Thirty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution (Role of Women) Bill: Discussion

9:00 am

Photo of Caoimhghín Ó CaoláinCaoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We are joined by Ms Emily Logan, Chief Commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, IHREC for our second session. She is accompanied by commission members, Professor Siobhán Mullally and Mr. Frank Conaty. They are all welcome. We are also joined by Ms Orla O'Connor, director of the National Women's Council of Ireland, NWCI, and she is accompanied by Ms Ellen O'Malley Dunlop, who is the chairperson. They are both welcome. Our third presenter is Dr. Laura Cahillane of the school of law at the University of Limerick and she is also welcome.

No doubt the witnesses found our first engagement of great interest and so did we. I will invite them to make their opening statements in the order in which they were introduced. Before opening it up to members to put questions, I have to read the privilege reminder.

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 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 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.

I invite Ms Emily Logan to make her opening statement.

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