Noel Rock (Dublin North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

At the request of the broadcasting and recording services, members and visitors in the Public Gallery are requested to ensure that their mobile phones are turned off completely or switched to airplane, safe, or flight mode, depending on the device, for the duration of the meeting. It is not sufficient to just switch phones to silent mode as this will maintain the level of interference with the broadcasting system. We will resume pre-legislative scrutiny of the general scheme of the Land Development Agency Bill.

I draw the attention of witnesses to the fact that by virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, they 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.

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.

I welcome Mr. Tom Dunne, Dublin Institute of Technology; Ms Orla Hegarty, assistant professor, UCD; Professor Rob Kitchin, Maynooth University; Ms Karen Murphy, Irish Council for Social Housing, ICSH; and Mr John O'Connor, Mr. Jim Baneham and Ms Catriona Lawlor of the Housing Agency. I call Mr. Dunne to make his opening statement.