Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the witnesses and those in the Public Gallery. Deputy John Brady will attend in substitution for Deputy Andrews and Senator Marie Sherlock will attend in substitution for Senator Annie Hoey. The following Members have also requested permission to attend: Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett and Senators Timmy Dooley and Eugene Murphy.

I advise non-committee members attending that I do not intend to extend the meeting any longer than the three hours that have been scheduled and I will only provide non-committee members with speaking time after committee members have finished. Last week, the meeting went for maybe five hours. Our witnesses today have spent three hours before a committee this morning and have come in here voluntarily and, therefore, I will stick to the three hours allocated to us.

The committee is meeting with Mr. Ryan Tubridy and his agent, Mr. Noel Kelly, to consider matters relating to the ongoing examination of transparency of RTÉ's expenditure of public funds and governance following the RTÉ board's statement of 22 June 2023. The committee has agreed that Mr. Tubridy and Mr. Kelly will be accompanied by their legal representatives.

I wish to explain some limitations regarding parliamentary privilege and the practice of the Houses as regards references made by witnesses to other persons in their evidence. We have a bit of housekeeping to go through so I hope the witnesses can bear with us while we do that. The evidence of witnesses physically present or who give evidence from within the parliamentary precincts is protected pursuant to both the Constitution and statute by absolute privilege. Witnesses are again reminded of the 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 him, her or it identifiable or otherwise engage in speech that might be regarded as damaging to the good name of that person or entity.

Therefore, if their statements are potentially defamatory in relation to an identifiable person or entity, witnesses will be directed to discontinue their remarks.

Members are also 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 Houses or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable. I also remind members again of the constitutional requirement that members must be physically present within the confines of Leinster House to participate in the public meetings. I will not permit a member to attend where he or she is not adhering to that constitutional requirement and where a member is attending remotely. As such, members should please confirm that they are attending from Leinster House before making a contribution via Microsoft Teams. I do not think that impacts on any of my colleagues here today, however.

I also emphasise to members and witnesses alike again that it is imperative that today's meeting is conducted in a fair and respectful manner at all times. It is important, in the interest of natural justice, that members and witnesses act responsibly on utterances concerning those present today and particularly those who are not present. I will intervene in exchanges where I deem this not to be the case. I also seek members' agreement that we suspend at 4.30 p.m. to give our guests and witnesses and members' themselves a ten-minute break. Is that agreed? Agreed.

The agenda for today's meeting is matters relating to the ongoing examination of transparency in RTÉ's expenditure of public funds and governance following RTÉ's board's statement on 22 June 2023. The committee welcomes that fact that Mr. Tubridy and Mr. Kelly wish to fully co-operate and assist with examination of these matters. It is timely and certainly in the public interest that they set out their position. Mr. Tubridy and Mr. Kelly have been advised of areas of focus for today's meeting, which we will try to stick to, which has been convened to consider matters relating to the committee's ongoing examination of transparency in RTÉ's expenditure of public funds and governance around the statement RTÉ made on 22 June.

We note that the opening statements have been supplied. I appreciate that the witnesses have already gone through them, but I understand they want to do that again because, obviously, they are mindful of the fact that they are not just speaking to the committee but to the public. As witnesses know, we have curtailed time. Is there any way their opening statements could be condensed into three minutes or would they prefer to speak freely about them? What way would they like to do that?