Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)

Apologies have been received from Senator Tom Clonan. The joint committee is meeting with officials from the Department of Defence and the Department of Transport for a briefing on defence developments at EU level and engagement on COM (2025) 555.

On behalf of the committee, from the Department of Defence, I welcome Mr. Brían O'Meara, principal officer in the international security and defence policy branch, Ms Siobhan Judge, assistant principal officer in the international security and defence policy branch, and Mr. Brendan Fitzgerald, assistant principal in the EU industry engagement unit. From the Department of Transport, I welcome Mr. Martin Hehir, principal officer in the EU and central policy division, and Mr. Liam Hawkes, assistant principal officer in the EU and central policy division.

The format of the meeting is that I will invite Mr. O'Meara to make an opening statement on behalf of the Department of Defence. This will be followed by questions from members of the committee. Each member has a seven-minute slot to ask questions and for the witnesses to respond.

I advise members of the constitutional requirement that they must be physically present within the confines of the Leinster House complex in order to participate in public meetings. I will not permit a member to participate where he or she is not adhering to this constitutional requirement. Therefore, any member who attempts to participate from outside the precincts will be asked to leave the meeting. In this regard, I ask any members participating via Microsoft Teams that prior to making their contribution they formally confirm that they are on the grounds of the Leinster House campus.

Both 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 respect of an identifiable person or entity, they will be directed to discontinue their remarks. It is imperative that they comply with any such direction. As the witnesses will probably be aware, the committee will publish their opening statements on the website following the meeting.

I invite Mr. O'Meara to deliver his opening statement on behalf of the Department of Defence.