Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

Tá fáilte romhaibh go léir. Apologies have been received from Deputy Ward. I remind members to turn off their mobile phones or switch them to flight mode.

The purpose of today's meeting is to have three briefings from the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration in respect of pre-legislative scrutiny of the national cyber security Bill 2024, criminal justice (violation of EU restrictive measures) Bill 2025 and children (amendment) Bill 2024. To provide briefings on these general schemes we are joined by the following officials from the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Mr. David McGill, principal officer, security and Northern Ireland; Ms Clare Heenan, assistant principal, security; Mr. Brendan Bruen, principal officer; Mr. Stephen Downey, assistant principal; Ms Marisa Gomez, principal officer, criminal legislation; and Ms Susanna Gillespie, higher executive officer. The officials are all very welcome.

I invite the witnesses to brief the committee, in the first instance, on the national cyber security Bill 2024, after which we will take questions or comments directly from members. Members' contributions will be restricted to approximately five minutes in the first round.

Before Mr. McGill begins, I will advise all witnesses in respect of parliamentary privilege. 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, if their statements are potentially defamatory in relation to an identifiable person or entity, they will be directed to discontinue their remarks. It is imperative they comply with any such direction. We will now move on to the general scheme of the national cyber security Bill 2024. I understand Mr. McGill and Ms Heenan are dealing with this topic. As Mr. McGill will lead on the briefing, I invite him to make his opening statement.