Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I apologise to the witnesses who have been in the lobby waiting. We have eaten into the hour of their time, but I felt it was important that members get the chance to question the SFPA extensively and I did not want to cut any member short. The witnesses for this session were undoubtedly listening to the exchanges and I hope they found them informative. There was very intensive questioning of the SFPA by all Deputies and Senators. I apologise again for eating into the witnesses' allocated time.

To the second session of the meeting I welcome the following witnesses: Mr. Seán O'Donoghue, CEO, Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation; Mr. Ciaran Doherty, chairman, Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation; Mr. John Lynch, chairman, Irish South & East Fish Producers Organisation; Mr. Karl McHugh, chairman, Irish Fish Processors and Exporters Association; Mr. Brendan Byrne, CEO, Irish Fish Processors and Exporters Association; Mr. John Ward, CEO, Irish Fish Producers Organisation, all joining remotely; and Mr. Patrick Murphy, CEO, Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation, joining from a witness room in Kildare House. They are all very welcome to the meeting. We have received their opening statements, which have been circulated to members. We are limited in our time due to Covid-19, so the committee has agreed that the opening statements will be taken as read in order that we can use the meeting for questions and answers. All opening statements are published on the Oireachtas website and are publicly available.

I will read out an important notice regarding parliamentary privilege. 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 do so, 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 or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.

Participants in the committee meeting from a location outside the parliamentary precincts are asked to note that the constitutional protections afforded to those participating from within the parliamentary precincts do not extend to them. No clear guidance can be given on whether or the extent to which their participation is covered by absolute privilege of a statutory nature.

I now invite questions from the members.