Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome our guest speakers from European Movement Ireland, Ms Noelle O’Connell, executive director, and Mr. Daniel Keohane, head of policy and advocacy. Since 1954, European Movement Ireland has been working to strengthen the connection between all sectors of Irish society and Europe. The committee will be familiar with its work and I am sure our guests are familiar with the committee's work. We have a common cause. It is good to have organisations that achieve results and success by engaging with others rather than standing aloof and pointing fingers. That is much better from the point of view of smaller countries like Ireland.

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. By virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence they are to give to the committee. If they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and they continue to do so, they are entitled thereafter only to qualified privilege in respect of the evidence they give. 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 or make charges against an entity or a person either by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable. I do not wish to silence our guests with that citation. I just thought I would throw it in to make things interesting. I call on Ms O'Connell to make her opening statement.