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

I remind members and guests to switch off their mobile phones as they interfere with the recording equipment. The purpose of this morning's engagement is to conduct pre-legislative scrutiny of the general scheme of the sex offenders (amendment) Bill, which is a Government Bill, and a Private Members' Bill of the same title, the Sex Offenders (Amendment) Bill 2018, sponsored by Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan, our colleague who is seated with the witnesses this morning.

I am pleased to welcome Deputy O'Sullivan. We will begin with her opening contribution. From the Probation Service, we are also joined by Mr. Vivian Geiran, director, Ms Ita Burke, deputy director, and Mr. Brian Dack, assistant director. They are all very welcome.

From the Police Service of Northern Ireland we are joined by Ms Barbara Gray, assistant chief constable in the crime operations department, Ms Paula Hilman, detective chief superintendent and head of the public protection branch, and Mr. Ray Henderson, detective superintendent. They are all very welcome. They are following some of their colleagues who were before the committee recently and we are delighted they have joined us here to discuss this very important issue. I extend a very warm welcome to Ms Caroline Counihan, legal policy adviser of the Rape Crisis Network Ireland and from University of Limerick's school of law we are joined by Dr. Margaret Fitzgerald-O'Reilly. They are also very welcome. We shall invite a short opening address from each witness. If the order I indicated in the welcome suits, that will work easiest for me.

I must draw the attention of our witnesses to the situation on privilege. Please note that you are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence you are to give to the committee. However, if you are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and you continue to so do, you are entitled thereafter only to a qualified privilege in respect of your evidence. You are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and you are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, you 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 of the committee should be aware that under the Salient Rulings of the Chair they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the House or an official by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

As I indicated, the format is that Deputy O'Sullivan will outline her Bill first. As with all other Members of the Houses, Deputy O'Sullivan is very busy and is free to leave thereafter or whenever she so chooses at her own comfort. She is also very welcome to stay for the duration if it is within her gift. Our witnesses can then address both Bills in their opening statements. After Deputy O'Sullivan we will hear from Mr. Geiran, Ms Gray, Ms Counihan and Dr. Fitzgerald-O'Reilly. The witnesses now have notice with regard to their opening statements. It gives me great pleasure to welcome Deputy O'Sullivan before the committee and I invite her to make her opening address.