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

This part of the meeting has been convened in the context of the committee's pre-legislative scrutiny on the online safety and media regulation Bill, and the integration of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2019 with that Bill. From the broadcasting and media division of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, joining us remotely from committee room 3 on Microsoft Teams, I welcome Ms Tríona Quill, principal officer, and her colleague, Mr. Ciarán Shanley, senior policy analyst.

I ask colleagues and guests to bear with me as I go through some housekeeping matters for the benefit of the witnesses who have joined us for this part of the meeting. The format of the meeting is such that I will invite the officials attending on the behalf of the Department to make their opening statement, followed by questions from members of the committee. As they are probably aware, the committee may publish the opening statement on its website following the meeting. Before I invite our guests to deliver their opening statement, which will be limited to three minutes, I advise them of the following in respect 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 the person or entity. If, therefore, their statements are potentially defamatory in respect of any identifiable person or entity, they will be directed to discontinue. As our guests are attending remotely from outside the Leinster House campus, they should note 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 physically present witness.

I invite Ms Quill to make her opening statement on behalf of the Department.