Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We are back in public session and returning to the issue of education provision from September, reopening schools and school transport. In Committee Room 1 from the Irish Primary Principals' Network I welcome Mr. Damian White, president, and Mr. Páiric Clerkin, chief executive officer, and from the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals I welcome Mr. Alan Mongey, president, and Mr. Paul Byrne, deputy director.

I advise the witnesses 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 this committee. 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 a qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. Witnesses are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and are 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.

There has been a certain drift with timekeeping. With the general exception of Sinn Féin speakers everybody else has tended to go over and ask a question in the last seconds available to him or her, which takes a couple of minutes to answer. We do not have time for that this morning. If members wish to ask questions right up to the end of the time available to them, I will be asking that the answer be provided in writing.

Without further ado, I invite Mr. Clerkin to make his opening remarks and I ask him to confine them to five minutes as his statement has been circulated to committee members in advance.