Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The main business today is a meeting with representatives of the Oversight Group on Women, Peace and Security. We very much welcome Ms Nora Owen who is no stranger to these Houses or this committee. She appears in her capacity as independent chair of the oversight group for Ireland's third national action plan on women, peace and security. Ms Owen is joined by a number of members of the oversight group, including Dr. Walt Kilroy, associate director at the Institute for International Conflict Resolution and Reconstruction, and assistant professor at the School of Law and Government, Dublin City University; Chief Superintendent Louise Synott of An Garda Síochána; Mr. Egide Dhala, outreach co-ordinator at the International Organisation for Migration, IOM, Ireland; Ms Áine Hearns, director of the conflict resolution unit at the Department of Foreign Affairs; Mr. Shane O’Connor, principal officer in the International Protection Accommodation Service, IPAS, at the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, whom I knew in a previous capacity; and Ms Deirdre Ní Néil, assistant principal in the equality and gender equality unit of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. Like Mr. O'Connor, I believe Ms Ní Néil is formerly of the Department of Justice. All the witnesses are very welcome.

On behalf of the committee, I thank the witnesses for agreeing to meet the committee to update members on their work and submitting to our questions, observations and submissions. The format of the meeting is that we will hear the opening statement of the oversight group before proceeding to a question and answer session with members of the committee. As we are time-limited due to Covid restrictions, I ask that witnesses be conscious of the time constraints when initially addressing the committee. Following the opening statement, there will be discussion and questions and answers from the committee. I ask members to be conscious also of the time when asking questions and to be concise in the manner in which they put their questions in order that everybody is allowed an opportunity for engagement.

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 or her in any way identifiable or otherwise engage in speech that might be regarded as damaging to the good name of that person or entity. Therefore, if their statements are potentially defamatory in respect of an identifiable person or entity, they will be directed to discontinue their remarks. Needless to say, it is imperative that such a directive be immediately complied with.

For witnesses attending remotely outside of the Leinster House campus, there are some limitations to parliamentary privilege and as such, they may not benefit from the same level of immunity from legal proceedings that witnesses physically present in the parliamentary precincts do.

I remind members of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against any person outside of the Houses or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable. Members are only allowed to participate in this meeting if they are physically located on the Leinster House complex or from the Conference Centre Dublin, where the Dáil and Seanad are meeting in plenary session.

For anybody watching this meeting online, some Oireachtas Members and witnesses are accessing this meeting remotely. Due to the unprecedented circumstances and the large number of people attending the meeting remotely, I ask that everybody bear with us and with each other in the event of a technical issue arising. I thank the team on my left, Mr. Noel Murphy and the secretariat staff, for the technological expertise they bring to these proceedings to allow so many people in different locations attend the meeting.

I am delighted Senator Ardagh has joined us physically. I hope that as the weeks go by, we will be in a position to have more people present in our committee room, notwithstanding the caution we must all observe as we proceed with the lifting of restrictions in compliance with public health guidelines and Government decisions. I ask everyone to bear with us if any technical issues arise.

With that, I am pleased to invite Ms Owen to make her opening statement to the committee.