Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the members and viewers who may be watching these proceedings of the public session of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and the Taoiseach on television or on the Oireachtas TV channel.

The purpose of today's meeting is to begin a detailed scrutiny of the Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2020, which is a Private Members' Bill. Today's meeting will involve a split session. We will be joined first by Professor Gary Murphy, school of law and government, Dublin City University, DCU, and by Mr. John Devitt, CEO of Transparency International Ireland. We will joined later by members of the Standards in Public Office Commission for the second part of the meeting.

The format of this meeting is that witnesses will make some brief opening remarks and this will be followed by a question and answer session from the members. Members and all in attendance are asked to exercise personal responsibility in protecting themselves and others from the risk of contracting Covid-19. They are strongly advised to practise good hand hygiene and so on; they know the drill. I ask for their full co-operation on that.

I must advise witnesses of a notice on privilege. I wish to advise witnesses who are physically present or who give evidence from within the parliamentary precincts that they are protected, pursuant to both the Constitution and statute, by absolute 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. Therefore, if witnesses' statements are potentially defamatory to an identifiable person or entity, they will be directed to discontinue their remarks. It is imperative that they comply with all such directions. There is no need to tell them this. They all know it. They could recite this notice backwards.

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 House, or any official by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable. I remind members who are attending remotely of the constitutional requirements that members must be physically present within the confines of the place in which Parliament has chosen to sit, namely, Leinster House. I invite Mr. Gary Murphy, who is very welcome to the meeting, to make his opening remarks.