Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We are now into our second session. Colleagues and our guests are very welcome. We are joined by representatives of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties and Digital Rights Ireland to discuss the general scheme of the online safety and media regulation Bill. I welcome the following witnesses who will be joining us virtually via Microsoft Teams: Mr. Liam Herrick, executive director of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, ICCL; his colleague, Ms Olga Cronin, policy officer on surveillance and human rights; and Dr. T.J. McIntyre, chair of Digital Rights Ireland. The format of the meeting is that I will invite the witnesses to make opening statements, to be followed by questions from members. As the witnesses are probably aware, the committee may publish the opening statements on its website following the meeting. I will first call the representatives of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties to deliver their opening statement, to be followed by Digital Rights Ireland.

Before I invite the witnesses to deliver their opening statements, which are limited to three minutes per organisation, I advise them of the following in terms of parliamentary privilege. Witnesses are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice that 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 or otherwise engage in speech that might be regarded as damaging to the good name of that person or entity. Therefore, if the statements of witnesses are potentially defamatory of any identifiable person or entity, they will be directed to discontinue their remarks. It is imperative they comply with such directions. As our witnesses are attending remotely from outside the Leinster House campus, they should note there are limitations to parliamentary privilege and, as such, they may not benefit from the same level of immunity from legal proceedings as a witness who is physically present. I ask those participating in the meeting to identify themselves when contributing for the benefit of the debates office staff preparing the Official Report and I ask them to mute their microphones when not contributing to reduce background noise and feedback. I remind members to keep their mobile phones switched off or on silent mode.

With that housekeeping out of the way, I am delighted to get to the crux of the meeting, which is the presentations by our guests. I invite Mr. Herrick to make his opening statement on behalf of ICCL.