Maria Bailey (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

At the request of broadcasting and recording services, members and visitors in the Public Gallery are requested that for the duration of the meeting, mobile phones be turned off completely or switched to airplane mode. It is not sufficient to put phones on silent mode, as it maintains a level of interference with the broadcasting system.

The next item is on affordable housing and I welcome to the meeting Mr. Paul O’Neill and Mr. Gerard Cahillane of the National Development Finance Agency and Mr. Jim Baneham, Mr. Daragh McCarthy and Ms Catriona Lawlor of the Housing Agency,.

I draw the attention of witnesses to the fact 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 the committee. However, if they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on 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 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 call on Mr. O'Neill to make his opening statement.