Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome everyone to today's meeting of the Seanad Special Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union. I ask members and witnesses to ensure their mobile telephones are turned off. Apologies have been received from Senator Flynn. We went through the correspondence and minutes during our private session.

There are two sessions in today's meeting. The first session will be on the cross-border healthcare directive and the second session will deal with medical supplies in Ireland post Brexit. The witnesses for the first session on the cross-border healthcare directive are Mr. Muiris O'Connor, assistant secretary general, research and development and health analytics division, Department of Health, Mr. Jonathan Patchell, principal officer, international unit, Department of Health, Ms Emma-Jane Morgan, principal officer, eligibility policy unit, Department of Health, and Ms Catherine Donohoe, general manager, commercial unit, acute hospital services, the Health Service Executive, HSE. They are all very welcome and, once again, I thank them for coming back after our adjourned session earlier, when we had some technical issues. It is good to have everybody back in the room on this occasion.

I ask everyone to bear with me while I go through the privilege notice. Witnesses giving evidence from within the parliamentary precincts are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence that they give to the committee. This means a witness has a full defence in any defamation action for anything said at a committee meeting. However, witnesses are expected not to abuse this privilege and may be directed to cease giving evidence on an issue at the Chair's direction. Witnesses should follow the direction of the Chair in this regard. They are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that, as is reasonable, no adverse commentary should be made against an identifiable third party or entity. Privilege against defamation does not apply to the publication by witnesses outside the proceedings held by the committee of any matter arising from the proceedings.

Members are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on or make charges against any person outside the Houses of the Oireachtas 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 campus, and I ask them to confirm this before making their first contribution. Members participating from outside the campus are asked to note that the constitutional protections are not afforded in that regard.

In terms of Covid-19 guidelines, I ask everybody to adhere to all current public health guidelines.

I invite the witnesses to make their opening statements.