Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

For the first session of today's meeting we are joined by representatives of the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA. I would like to welcome the following: Dr. Eimear Cotter, director of the office of evidence and assessment; Ms Mary Gurrie, programme manager, water management programme, office of evidence and assessment; and Dr. Jenny Deakin, senior scientific officer, water management programme, office of evidence and assessment. They are all very welcome to the meeting. They will be given ten minutes to make their opening statement, before we proceed to questions and answers.

Before we begin, I will read the note on 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 of these proceedings is to be given. They are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should neither 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 now call Dr. Cotter to make her opening statement.