Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Apologies have been received from Senator Joe O'Reilly. Several members are participating from their offices because we still have a Covid-type hybrid operation.

I welcome to the Public Gallery the ambassador of Norway, H.E. Ms Mari Skåre, and the Lithuanian ambassador, H.E. Mr. Marijus Gudynas. I also welcome the third secretary from the Palestinian Mission, Dania Dasouqi, and Ms Iga Piotrowska, the political affairs officer at the embassy of Poland.

Members will be aware that in the plenary session of the Dáil, there is an important motion of no confidence in a Minister, and some members have indicated their wish to be in the Chamber to participate and be present for that debate. I understand it commences between 3.45 p.m. and 3.50 p.m. I suggest we hear the presentation from the ambassador of Ukraine to Ireland, and questions that may be posed to us by our colleague Oleksandr Merezhko, who joins us live from the Ukrainian parliament in Kyiv. However, we will cut our proceedings short between 4 p.m. and 4.10 p.m., depending on how we are going. I apologise to the ambassador for that.

I am pleased that we are joined by H.E. Larysa Gerasko, ambassador of Ukraine to Ireland; her colleagues Mr. Yuriy Rubashov and Mr. Dmytro Shchedrin from the Embassy of Ukraine to Ireland; and Mr. Oleksandr Merezhko, chair of the committee of foreign affairs and inter-parliamentary co-operation from the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, joining us via MS Teams. They are all welcome. Ambassador Gerasko and Mr. Merezhko will give us an update on the current situation in Ukraine, which is a matter of great concern to our committee and an issue on which we have had substantive discussions for more than 18 months. We will start straight away and see how we are going in 50 minutes or so.

The meeting will be in the usual format. We will hear H.E. Gerasko's opening statement followed by questions and answers from members of the committee. I ask members to be concise and to allow all members the opportunity to participate. Witnesses and members are 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 the person or entity. Therefore, I remind both members and witnesses to be cautious in their statements.

For witnesses attending remotely from outside of the Leinster House campus, there are some limitations to parliamentary privilege and as such they may not benefit from the same level of immunity from legal proceedings as witnesses physically present. I remind members that they are only allowed to participate in the meeting if they are physically located on the Leinster House complex. I see Senator Wilson and Deputy Stanton are online.

I once again welcome the ambassador. She has the unstinting support of all members of this committee in the context of current challenges in Ukraine. I call her to make her opening statement.