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

The purpose of today's meeting is engagement with our colleagues who our representing the European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, LIBE, with a focus on the topic of general data protection regulation, GDPR, enforcement. This is a topic of great interest to the committee as well. Our visiting colleagues may or may not be aware we have produced our own reports on this topic recently and we have been quite strong on it. There is certainly significant interest in it across the committee collectively and also its various members, so we are very glad to welcome our guests for an exchange of views I look forward to. I wish visiting committee members well in their work. I understand they have a number of visits in Dublin and Ireland. Godspeed to our visitors because these are all important visits and I wish them well in their task. I note some of the work they have already done and the findings they have already made. Regrettably, I find myself supporting it/ I wish it were otherwise, but change needs to happen and something has to give. This committee, together with the committee of the Parliament, can keep that pressure on and ensure things are as they should be.

Before we begin the engagement there is a little housekeeping. Members will be aware of this but for our guests should know there is a long-standing parliamentary practice that they should not criticise or make charges against any person or entity by name or in such a way as to make that person or entity identifiable, or otherwise engage in any speech that might be regarded as damaging to the good name of the person or entity. If their statements are potentially defamatory in relation to an identifiable person or organisation, they will be directed by me to discontinue their remarks. Again, this is just housekeeping. I am sure Members of the European Parliament will be familiar with similar rules.

There is another point that may be relevant today. It is a standard note but there is some litigation ongoing on some of these issues.

Member and visitors should avoid commenting on any matters that are the subject of current legal proceedings. Matters that are going through the courts or that are under appeal are sub judiceso I ask that speakers refrain from comment on any such matters.

I am pleased to welcome today's delegation. I welcome: Ms Maite Pagazaurtundúa, an MEP from Spain; Ms Birgit Sippel from Germany; Mr. Paul Tang, from the Netherlands and Ms Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield, who has just popped out for a minute. That is fine. We do not lock the doors here. Our next guest will be more familiar to us because she is a former Member of these Houses, namely, Ms Clare Daly. All our guests are very welcome. Ms Daly was with us before for a previous session. To make a general point, these sessions are very useful and we should have more of them. They give us an opportunity to engage with our European colleagues across parliaments. I understand the MEPs' visit to Ireland is focused on the enforcement of the GDPR. At this meeting, we will focus on our report of 21 July, which I have mentioned, in which we did our own deep dive into the issue.

We have about an hour in this slot. The MEPs have a busy agenda and have back-to-back meetings all day, so they are under a little bit of pressure. We have put in about an hour for this engagement. I know there is a desire on both sides to network, share stories and have some private informal discussion. We have arranged some tea and coffee. I propose to hold a formal 40-minute engagement and exchange in here. At that point, the meeting proper will conclude and we will continue our chats outside over a cup of coffee. Perhaps that will allow for a deepening of the relationships we are building today. Is that agreeable as a format? It is.

Ms Pagazaurtundúa is leading the delegation. Perhaps she would like to make some opening remarks. If she wishes to make her opening remarks on behalf of the delegation, we can then go around the table on her side. As the leader, Ms Pagazaurtundúa may take as long as she wishes and we will then take a couple of minutes across the table. We will then invite the members of the committee to come in. We will aim to conclude at 11.45 a.m. and then take some coffee outside. I remind everyone that earphones are available if they need translation.