Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Today's meeting is in regard to the Private Members’ Bill, the veterinary practice (amendment) Bill 2021. It was agreed at a private select committee meeting on 21 September that the joint committee would conduct detailed scrutiny of the Bill. It was also agreed that the sponsor of the Bill is the Chairman of the joint committee, Deputy Jackie Cahill. As I am Vice Chairman, I will take the Chair for today's meeting. I welcome Deputy Cahill to the meeting and I would also like to acknowledge his witnesses: Mr. Gerry Neary, past president of Veterinary Ireland; and Mr. Finbarr Murphy, chief executive of Veterinary Ireland. Both are very welcome to the meeting. Deputy Cahill and the witnesses will be given ten minutes to make an opening statement before we go to questions and answers.

Before we begin, I have an important notice on parliamentary privilege. Witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence they are to give to the committee. However, if they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and they continue to do so, they are entitled thereafter only to qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. They are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter in these proceedings is to be given. They are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that where possible they should not criticise nor make charges against any person, persons or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.

I call on Deputy Jackie Cahill to make his opening statement.