Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I welcome everybody to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage this afternoon. I welcome Mr. Dónal McCormack and Ms Maeve Foreman of Community Gardens Ireland. Members have been circulated with the briefing and the opening statements. I will first ask our guests to make their opening statements and then members will be invited to address questions to them. Members might keep their questions to five or six minutes. For the information of our guests, the time slots can probably extend to seven minutes but that includes the question and the answer. If members could keep their questions short, it would give our guests more time to provide their expert answers.

Before we begin, I remind members of the constitutional requirement that members must be physically present within the confines of the place where the Parliament has chosen to sit, namely, Leinster House, in order to participate in the public meetings. For those attending remotely from within the Leinster House complex, they are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their contribution to today's meeting. This means that they have an absolute defence against any defamation action for anything they say at the meeting. The advice to witnesses attending remotely from outside the Leinster House complex does not apply today. Both members and witnesses are expected not to abuse the privilege they enjoy and it is my duty as Chair to ensure that this privilege is not abused. Therefore, if their statements are potentially defamatory in respect of an identifiable person or entity, they will be directed to discontinue their remarks. It is imperative that they comply with any such direction.

Members and witnesses 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 an official either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable. The opening statements submitted to the committee will be published on the committee website after this meeting.

I welcome Mr. McCormack and Ms Foreman. They had written to us previously seeking to appear before the committee. It just so happened that we had a meeting that could not take place and we were happy that they were available at short notice to come in to us. Will Mr. McCormack make the opening statement?