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

Ladies and gentlemen, you are all welcome to today's discussion and deliberations. The committee is meeting today with Department officials, representatives from Sport Ireland and current and former representatives of the FAI to discuss the FAI's facility investment vision and strategy. We also recently reported some governance issues. That is all open for discussion today.

I warmly welcome the witnesses. We have so many guests with us today that we had to move to a bigger committee room to make space for everybody. It is great to be able to fit everybody in. I see we have Mr. Packie Bonner joining us via Teams. You are very welcome, Mr. Bonner. From the sports division of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht Sport and Media, I welcome Mr. Cian Ó Lionáin, assistant secretary, and Mr. Micheál Ó Conaire, principal officer. They are no strangers to these committee rooms. From Sport Ireland, I welcome Dr. Úna May, CEO, Mr. Colm McGinty, director of governance, and Mr. Jason McLoughlin, director of finance. From the FAI, I welcome Mr. Jonathan Hill, chief executive officer, and Mr. Paul Cooke, president, board member and member of the audit, risk, compliance and finance committee. Mr. Cooke, congratulations on your new role as president. I wish you the very best of luck into the future. On behalf of the committee, I also welcome, as I said, Mr. Packie Bonner, who is one of the board members and joins us remotely via Microsoft Teams. We also have Ms Liz Joyce, board member and chair of the executive performance and remuneration committee. We welcome Ms Catherine Guy, board member and member of the executive performance and remuneration committee, and Ms Niamh O'Mahony, board member and member of the executive performance and remuneration committee. We have had Mr. David Courell, chief operating officer, in before. Mr. Courell, you are very welcome. We are also joined by Mr. Ger McDermott, grassroots director. You are all very welcome. I am also very grateful to have the attendance of Gerry McAnaney, former but not that former president of the FAI, and Mr. Roy Barrett, former independent chairperson. You are very welcome, Mr. Barrett.

As I said, I have a wee bit of housekeeping to go through, so please bear with me. The format of today's meeting is such that I will invite our witnesses to deliver opening statements, which are limited to five minutes each.

I ask them to adhere to that to leave enough time for my colleagues to ask their questions. The statements will be followed by questions from members of the committee. As the witnesses are probably aware, the committee may publish the opening statements and briefing documentation on its website. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Before we proceed to the opening statements, I will explain some limitations on parliamentary privilege and the practice of the Houses as regards references witnesses may make to other persons in their evidence. 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 in respect of the presentations they make to the committee. However, witnesses who give evidence from outside the parliamentary precincts are asked to note that they may not benefit from the same level of immunity from legal proceedings as a witness who gives evidence from within the parliamentary precincts and may consider it appropriate to take advice on the matter. Persons giving evidence from any other jurisdiction should also be mindful of domestic law and how it may apply to the evidence given by them. I do not think we have that scenario today.

Witnesses 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, if witnesses' statements are potentially defamatory in relation to any identifiable person or entity, they will be directed to discontinue their remarks and it is imperative they comply with such direction.

Members are 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 colleagues of the constitutional requirement that members must be physically present within the confines of Leinster House to participate in public meetings.

With that said, I propose we proceed to the opening statements and I invite Mr. Jonathan Hill to give the first opening statement on behalf of the FAI. The floor is his. He has five minutes.