Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

On behalf of the committee, I extend a warm welcome to Professor Deirdre Heenan from Ulster University and Professor Anne Matthews from Dublin City University. You are both very welcome and are not strangers to the Houses. I know you have been here before, but it is a pleasure to have you here at this committee. The format of the meeting is that I will invite Professor Heenan and Professor Matthews to make opening statements. These will be followed by questions from members of the committee. Each member has seven minutes to ask questions and for witnesses to respond within those seven minutes.

Before I begin, I wish to remind members of the constitutional requirement that in order to participate in public meetings, members must be physically present within the confines of Leinster House complex. Members of the committee attending remotely must do so from within the precincts of Leinster House. This is due to the constitutional requirement that in order to participate in public meetings, members must be physically present within the confines of the place where Parliament has chosen to sit. In that regard, I would ask members partaking via MS Teams that prior to making their contributions to the meeting, they confirm that they are on the grounds of the Leinster House complex.

Members and 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 their statements are potentially defamatory in relation to an identifiable person or entity, I will direct them to discontinue your remarks and it is imperative that they comply with any such direction. As the witnesses will probably be aware, the committee will publish the opening statement on its website following this meeting. MPs participating in the committee's session from a jurisdiction outside of the State are advised that they should do so, but be mindful of their domestic laws and how it may apply to their participation in proceedings.

I now invite Professor Heenan to make her opening statement.