James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

For the benefit of those joining us in this session, I wish to inform them that the committee already sat this afternoon and considered another Bill. We are now moving on to the next item. All of our guests are very welcome.

I particularly welcome the sponsor of the Bill, Deputy Cian O'Callaghan, whom I will be inviting to make some opening remarks shortly.

The purpose of this session of our meeting is to begin the pre-legislative scrutiny of a Private Members' Bill, the Ban on Sex for Rent Bill 2022. We are joined by a number of witnesses, whom I believe are all here in person. I am not sure if we have anybody online; I think everybody is in the building. The witnesses are Ms Caroline Counihan, legal policy director of Rape Crisis Network Ireland; Ms Ann Murphy, a journalist from the Irish Examinerwho has covered this area in a number of pieces; Mr. Gavin Elliott and Ms Ann-Marie O'Reilly from Threshold; and Ms Rachel Woods, assistant secretary in the legislation division of the Department of Justice; and Ms Lisa Doherty, principal officer in the criminal legislation division of the Department of Justice. They are all very welcome.

Since we are under pressure for time, I am going to take it as read that the witnesses joining us and the members are au faitwith the rules on privilege and procedure in terms of not defaming anybody in their remarks or identifying or speaking unduly about another individual or entity that may be outside the remit of the committee today or may not have a right to respond. There is a long preamble but it is really just good manners and common sense. I will take it as read that members are au faitwith all that.

I will invite Deputy Cian O'Callaghan, the sponsor of the Bill, to make some opening remarks. When he has done so, I will proceed to the witnesses. Some of them are here on their own steam and some, such as those from Threshold, are here as a group. Each organisation will have a three-minute slot in which to make an opening statement. Once we have taken opening statements from each group, we will go around the table. The members will have different questions to put. Each member will have three minutes in which to put questions and receive answers. We will keep it moving because we are under pressure for time. At the end of the public session, we will have a private session in which we will take some legal advice on the items we discussed. The advice has been prepared by the Office of Parliamentary Legal Advisers.

I invite Deputy Cian O'Callaghan to address the committee. He can take perhaps five minutes if he wishes to set the scene for the Bill and outline how he hopes it might be advanced.