Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Our next item is our meeting with the chairman designate of the Grangegorman Development Agency, Mr. John Monahan, to discuss the approach he will take in his new role and his views on the challenges facing new agencies.

Members will be aware of the Government decision of May 2011 which put new arrangements in place for the appointment of persons to State boards and bodies. The committee welcomes the opportunity to meet with the chairperson designate in public session to hear his views. We trust that this provides greater transparency to the process of appointment to our State boards and bodies. On behalf of the committee I welcome Mr. Monaghan and also Mr. Michael Hand who is the CEO of the Grangegorman Development Agency.

By virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to this committee. If you are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence in relation to a particular matter and you continue to so do, you are entitled thereafter only to a qualified privilege in respect of your evidence. You are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and you are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, you should not criticise or make charges against any persons or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.

I invite Mr. John Monahan to make his opening statement.