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

The purpose of today's meeting is to begin a series of engagements on the issue of online harassment and harmful communications. We are joined by Mr. Michael Gubbins, chief superintendent, special crime operations, An Garda Síochána, and Mr. Pat Ryan, detective superintendent in the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau. From the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, ISPCC, Childline, we are joined by Mr. John Church, its chief executive. We are also joined by Professor Joe Carthy, director of the UCD centre for cybersecurity and cybercrime investigation, and Ms Caroline Counihan BL, the legal director of Rape Crisis Network Ireland. You are all very welcome, as are your colleagues who are guests in the Visitors Gallery.

I will shortly invite you to make your opening statements and I propose to do so in the order in which I have just introduced you, if that suits. There is no hierarchy. It is just the order in which I introduced you. I first must draw your attention to the issue of privilege.

Witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence they give to the committee. However, if they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and 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 the proceedings is to be given and 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. Members of the committee are reminded that under the salient rulings of the Chair, 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.

I caution our panel and visitors to ensure that their mobile phones are switched off. Will the chief superintendent be leading off?