Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

We are joined by Mr. Niall Cussen, planning regulator and chief executive at the Office of the Planning Regulator, OPR, and Ms Anne Marie O'Connor, also from the OPR. Members have been circulated with the witnesses' submission. I will first ask Mr. Cussen to make his opening statement and members will then be invited to address their questions. They will have five or six minutes for questions and answers.

Members attending remotely within the Leinster House complex are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their participation in this meeting. Members are aware of their obligations under privilege. I remind them of the constitutional requirement that they must be physically present within the place Parliament has chosen to sit, namely, Leinster House or the Convention Centre Dublin. For witnesses attending remotely, there are some limitations to parliamentary privilege and, as such, they may not benefit from the same level of immunity from legal proceedings as a person who is physically present. The opening statements submitted to the committee will be published on the committee's website after this meeting.

I invite Mr. Cussen to make his opening statement.