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

We will resume in public session. The purpose of this morning's engagement is to discuss the issue of citizenship rights in the North of Ireland in light of the recent ruling of an upper immigration tribunal in the case of Ms Emma DeSouza. We are joined by Emma DeSouza and I want to extend a very warm welcome to her on behalf of the Joint Committee on Justice and Equality of the Houses of the Oireachtas. She is accompanied this morning by Professor Colin Harvey, who is very welcome back before the committee, and by Ms Una Boyd of the Committee on the Administration of Justice, CAJ. The witnesses are all very welcome here. I will shortly invite you to make your opening statements in the order in which I have introduced you. Before I give the privilege reminder, I wish to encourage our witnesses and anyone in the Visitor's Gallery to please switch off their mobile phones as they interfere with the recording equipment.

I must draw the attention of our witnesses to the situation in relation to privilege. Please note that they 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 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 of the Joint Committee on Justice and Equality and of the Houses should be aware that under the salient rulings of the Chair, members 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.

I would now like to invite Ms DeSouza to make her opening statement.