Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The agenda for today's meeting is to discuss the impact of Brexit on the higher education sector. I welcome Mr. Gerry O’Sullivan, head of international education, Dr. Aileen Marron, Erasmus+ programme manager and Mr. Tim Conlon, head of policy and strategic planning, Higher Education Authority, HEA; Mr. Jim Miley, director general, and Ms Nora Trench Bowles, head of lifelong learning, skills and quality, Irish Universities Association; Dr. Jennifer Brennan, director of research development and innovation, Technological Higher Education Association; Dr. Michael Mulvey, president, and Dr. Sheila Flanagan, vice president for academic affairs and registrar, Dundalk Institute of Technology, DkIT; and Mr Paul Hannigan, president, and Mr. John Andy Bonar, vice president for research, equality, and external affairs, Letterkenny Institute of Technology, LYIT. We have quite a number of witnesses joining our meeting, which is fantastic. I welcome them all and thank them for their attendance, which is very much appreciated by the committee as we progress our work towards delivering our report in July.

Regarding privilege, witnesses giving evidence from within the parliamentary precincts are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence that they give to the committee. This means that a witness has a full defence in a defamation action or in regard to anything said at a committee meeting. However, witnesses are expected not to abuse this privilege and may be directed to cease giving evidence on an issue at the Chair's direction. Witnesses should follow the direction of the Chair in this regard and are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that, as is reasonable, no adverse commentary should be made against an identifiable third party or entity. Witnesses who are to give evidence from a location outside the parliamentary precincts are asked to note they may not benefit from the same level of immunity from legal proceedings as a witness giving evidence from within the parliamentary precincts, so they may consider it appropriate to take legal advice on this matter.

Members are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on 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 that they are only allowed to participate in this meeting if they are physically located on the Leinster House campus. In this regard, I ask all members, prior to making their initial contribution, to confirm they are on the grounds of the Leinster House campus. If they are directed to cease giving evidence by the Chair in regard to a particular matter, they must respect that direction.

I call Mr. O'Sullivan of the Higher Education Authority to make his opening statement.