Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We will now meet Ms Sarah Merrill from Justice for Colombia, Ms Mariela Kohon, senior international officer with the Trades Union Congress, Mr. Kevin Callinan, senior general secretary designate of the Fórsa trade union, and Mr. David Joyce, international officer at ICTU, to discuss the implementation of the peace process in Colombia. The witnesses are welcome and I thank them for providing their briefing material in advance. I also welcome the Colombian ambassador, H.E. Ms Patricia Cortés Ortiz, to our meeting.

Before beginning, witnesses and persons in the Public Gallery are requested to ensure that, for the duration of the meeting, mobile phones are turned off completely or switched to airplane, safe or flight mode, depending on their devices. It is not sufficient just to put their phones on silent mode, as that will cause interference with the broadcasting system.

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 joint committee. However, if they are directed by the Chairman to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and they continue to do so, 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 are asked to respect the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against any person or body outside the Houses or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.

I call on Mr. Callinan and Ms Kohon to make their opening statements.