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

We have received apologies from Deputy Munster. Deputy Daly will be attending as a substitute for Deputy Andrews. If our guests can bear with me, I have some housekeeping matters to go through first in respect of some committee business to dispose of before we hear our opening statements. Can I take it that the draft minutes of our meeting of 6 December are formally agreed and that there are no matters arising? Is that agreed? Agreed.

The committee is meeting with representatives from NewsBrands Ireland, Local Ireland, the National Union of Journalists, NUJ, the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland, IBI, and the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman to discuss non-court-based conflict resolution mechanisms for the handling of media-related complaints. I request that members and witnesses alike refrain from discussing individual cases that may be the subject of legal proceedings. It is envisaged that today's discussion will remain policy focused.

I warmly welcome our guests. From the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, I welcome Ms Susan McKay, Press Ombudsman, and Mr. Rory Montgomery, chair of the Press Council of Ireland. From NewsBrands Ireland, I welcome Mr. Danny McConnell, editor of the Business Post, toa different side of Leinster House than he is normally used to. It is lovely to have him in with us.