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

I welcome our guests and my colleagues. It is great to have them all here again for what will be a very exciting and insightful presentation. I have a bit of housekeeping to go through and I would ask our guests to bear with me while we do that.

This meeting has been convened with representatives of Screen Producers Ireland and the Joint Creative Audiovisual Sectoral Group as our ninth public hearing to discuss the general scheme of the online safety and media regulation Bill. I welcome the following witnesses to the meeting who will be joining us remotely via Microsoft Teams. I welcome Ms Susan Kirby, CEO of Screen Producers Ireland. With Ms Kirby is Ms Mary Callery, head of international with ShinAwil productions. I also welcome, from the Joint Creative Audiovisual Sectoral Group, Ms Birch Hamilton, executive director, Screen Directors Guild of Ireland, Mr. Ronan McCabe, CEO, Animation Ireland, and Mr. James Hickey, producer-consultant and former CEO of Screen Ireland.

The format of the meeting is such that I will invite witnesses to make opening statements, which will be followed by questions from members of the committee. As the witnesses are probably aware, the committee may publish the opening statements on its website following the meeting. Before I invite them to deliver their opening statements, which are limited to three minutes for each organisation, I want to advise the witnesses of the following relating to 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 and I would ask them to do so. 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.

Members are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the Houses or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable. I remind members of the constitutional requirement that they must be physically present within the confines of Leinster House or the convention centre to participate in our public meeting. I will not permit members to attend unless they are adhering to this constitutional requirement. Therefore, any member who attempts to attend from outside the precincts will be asked to leave the meeting. I ask that members identify themselves when contributing for the benefit of the debates office staff preparing the Official Report and to mute their microphones when not contributing to reduce background noise and feedback. I ask that members use the raise hand button when they want to contribute. I also ask everyone joining today's meeting to ensure all mobile phones are on silent mode or switched off.

I invite Ms Kirby to make her opening statement on behalf of Screen Producers Ireland.