Chairman:

I welcome viewers who may be watching our proceedings on Oireachtas TV to the 19th public session of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Climate Action. Before I introduce the witnesses today, at the request of the broadcasting and recording services, I ask members and visitors to turn their mobile phones off or to put them into flight mode as they interfere with the broadcasting system. On behalf of the committee I extend a warm welcome to Ms Dee Forbes, director general of RTÉ, and her colleagues, Mr. Jim Jennings, director of content on RTÉ, and Mr. Jon Williams, managing director of RTÉ news and current affairs. From Met Éireann, I welcome Mr. Eoin Moran, director, who is joined by his colleagues, Dr. Sarah O'Reilly, assistant director, Ms Evelyn Cusack, head of the forecasting division, Dr. Saji Varghese, Mr. Séamus Walsh and Mr. Eoin Sherlock.

Before we commence our meeting I want to carry out some formalities. I wish to advise the witnesses that by virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to this committee. However, if they are directed by it 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 and 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 Ms Forbes to make her opening statement.