Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We are having an informal engagement after this meeting with a parliamentary delegation from Montenegro. Apologies have been received from Deputy Crowe. I remind members of the mobile phone notice.

I am delighted to welcome Mr. Tony Murphy and his colleagues to the committee. Mr. Murphy is the Irish member of the European Court of Auditors, ECA. The court plays an important function in assessing the spending of public money by the European Union and whether that money is being spent correctly and in an effective manner. As a committee, we have found the court provides an interesting perspective on how the EU is doing financially and so this annual engagement is useful and important for us. The committee appreciates the work Mr. Murphy and his colleagues do because everybody knows it is like Mom's purse and the most important thing is to mind the money, to watch what way it is spent and to ensure everything goes correctly.

I have no doubt our guests are capable of doing that.

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 House 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 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 Mr. Murphy to make his opening statement.