Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I remind members and witnesses to turn off their mobile phones.

Witnesses giving evidence within the parliamentary precincts are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence they give to the committee. This means that they have a full defence in any defamation action in respect of anything they say at the meeting. However, witnesses are expected not to abuse this privilege and may be directed by the Chair to cease giving evidence on an issue. Witnesses should follow the direction of the Chair in this regard and are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that, as is reasonable, no adverse commentary should be made against an identifiable third person or entity. Witnesses who give evidence from locations outside the parliamentary precincts are asked to note that they may not benefit from the same level of immunity from legal proceedings as witnesses giving evidence from within the parliamentary precincts. They may consider it appropriate to take legal advice in this regard. Privilege against defamation does not apply to the publication by witnesses, outside of the proceedings held by the committee, of any matters arising from the proceedings.

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 House or an official, either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable. Parliamentary privilege is considered to apply to utterances of members participating online at a committee meeting when that participation is within the parliamentary precincts. Members may not participate online in a public meeting from outside the parliamentary precincts and any attempt to do so will result in said member having his or her online access removed.

The committee will hear from officials from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine on further scrutiny of EU legislative proposals: COM (2023) 495, proposal to amend EU regulation No. 2023/194 fixing fishing opportunities for certain fish stocks in union waters for 2023 and for Union fishing vessels, in certain non-Union waters, fixing deep sea stock fishing opportunities for 2023 and 2024; COM (2023) 578, proposal for a Council regulation fixing the fishing opportunities for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks applicable in the Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea for 2024; and COM (2023) 587, proposal for a Council regulation fixing, for 2024, 2025 and 2026, fishing opportunities for certain fish stocks, applicable in Union waters and, for Union fishing vessels, in certain non-Union waters, and amending EU regulation No. 2023/194 as regards deep sea stocks.

The witnesses appearing at the meeting are: Ms Sinéad McSherry, assistant secretary with responsibility for seafood and the marine; Ms Suzanne Brennan, principal officer and head of the marine programmes division; and Ms Anna O'Sullivan, principal officer and head of sea-fisheries policy and management division. They are very welcome to the meeting. The committee appreciates them making themselves available so soon after our previous meeting, which took place last Wednesday. A very long voting block in the Dáil, which was outside our control, led to our inability to reconvene on that evening. These are the demands of democracy.

As the witnesses have already delivered their opening statement, I had intended to proceed with questions and answers. However, I have been informed by the secretariat that the witnesses would like to make the opening statement again. Is that correct?