Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I want to begin by apologising for keeping the Minister waiting. A combination of factors meant we had difficulty achieving a quorum on time this morning.

We have received apologies from a number of colleagues, including Deputies Niamh Smyth and Jennifer Carroll MacNeill and Senators Fintan Warfield, Alice Mary Higgins and Regina Doherty.

Before we begin, members have the option of being physically present or may join via Microsoft Teams from their Leinster House offices, but may not participate in the meeting from outside the parliamentary precincts. If they are joining on Teams, they should please mute microphones and use the raise hand function to indicate. To limit the risk of spreading Covid-19, the Houses of the Oireachtas Service encourages all members, visitors and witnesses to continue to wear face masks when moving around the campus or in close proximity and to adhere to public health advice.

Today's meeting is an engagement with the Minister for Justice, Deputy Helen McEntee, to discuss the recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality related to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, DSGBV. I sincerely welcome the Minister. She is participating via Teams from her Leinster House office, where she is accompanied by Mr. Ben Ryan, assistant secretary in the Department of Justice. We are grateful to them for their engagement on this important module and this important part of our work.

I will read the note on parliamentary privilege. Witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence they give to the committee but if directed by the committee to cease giving evidence in relation to particular matter, and they continue to do so, witnesses are entitled thereafter only to qualified privilege in respect of the evidence. They are directed that only evidence that is 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 not criticise nor make charges against any person or entity by name or in such a way as to make them identifiable.

I now call the Minister to make her opening statement. We are delighted to have her here with us. We have already had a number of hearings on the recommendations of the citizens’ assembly. We see our role as a committee to prepare an action plan for the implementation of those recommendations. We are grateful to the Minister for her engagement with us.