Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I apologise to our guests for the delay. Before we commence, I remind members, witnesses and people in the Visitors Gallery to turn off their mobile phones. From the Marine Co-ordination Group, I welcome: Mr. John Shaw, assistant secretary general at the Department of the Taoiseach; Dr. Paul Connolly, chief executive officer at the Marine Institute; Dr. Cecil Beamish, assistant secretary general at the Department Agriculture, Food and Marine; and Ms Maria Graham, assistant secretary general at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. Our guests have been invited to this meeting to update the committee on the progress of the plan, Harnessing Ireland's Ocean Wealth - An Integrated Marine Plan for Ireland. The plan sets out two targets, namely, to exceed €6.4 billion per annum in turnover from the maritime sector by 2020 and to double the sector's contribution to 2.4% of GDP per annum by 2030. We have been made aware that since publication of the plan, two reports of interest were published this year. Those are Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth: A Review of Progress 2018 and Ireland's Ocean Economy. I understand that our guests will brief on these reports as well. I congratulate Dr. Connolly on his recent appointment as chief executive of the Marine Institute and I take this opportunity to wish the outgoing chief executive, Dr. Peter Heffernan, well in his retirement. Dr. Heffernan appeared before this committee regularly in the past.

Before we commence our discussion, I draw the attention of our guests 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. If they are directed by the committee 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 that evidence. They are directed that only evidence connected to the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given. 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 or her 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 of these Houses, or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

I invite Mr. John Shaw to make his opening statement.