Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have received apologies from Deputies Ward, Sherlock and Cairns and from Senators McGreehan and O'Sullivan. The item on our agenda today is engagement with stakeholders regarding youth work. At this session we are joined by representatives from the National Youth Council of Ireland, NYCI: Ms Mary Cunningham, chief executive officer, and Mr. Paul Gordon, director of policy and advocacy; from the City of Dublin Youth Service Board: Ms Celene Dunne, director, and Mr. Mark McDonald, director of schools, City of Dublin Education and Training Board; from Rialto Youth Project: Ms Dannielle McKenna, manager, and Mr. Jim Lawlor, youth worker; and from NUI Maynooth: Professor Maurice Devlin, professor of applied social studies, and Dr. Sinead McMahon, community work and youth work team. They are all very welcome. This is our second meeting on this agenda item.

I will go through some housekeeping matters first. I advise anyone who is attending online via MS Teams that the chat function should only be used to make us aware of any urgent matters or technical issues and should not be used to make general comment. I remind members of the constitutional requirement that they must be physically present within the confines of the Leinster House complex in order to participate in public meetings. I will not permit a member to participate where he or she is not adhering to this requirement.

In advance of inviting the witnesses to deliver their opening statements, I advise them of the following in relation to parliamentary privilege. Witnesses who are participating from the committee room are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not criticise or make charges against any person or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable or otherwise engage in speech that might be regarded as damaging to the good name of the person or entity. Therefore, if their statements are potentially defamatory in relation to an identifiable person or entity, they will be directed to discontinue their remarks. It is imperative that they comply with any such direction.

Each group will be allocated five minutes' speaking time and after all of the opening statements, there will be time for questions and answers with the members. We are starting with Ms Mary Cunningham and when she is ready, I invite her to make her opening statement.