Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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I remind members, delegates and those in the Visitors Gallery to ensure their mobile phones are switched off completely for the duration of the meeting as they cause interference with the recording equipment in committee rooms, even in silent mode. We have seen some instances of this occur recently.

The main purpose of the meeting is to meet officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on Ireland's membership of the United Nations Human Rights Council. I welcome Mr. Colin Wrafter, director of the human rights unit of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and his colleagues. As members are aware, the Human Rights Council is the intergovernmental body within the United Nations responsible for the promotion and protection of human rights. Ireland’s three year membership of the council began in January this year and as we are near the end of the first year, it is an opportune time for the joint committee to hear from the Department. Three members of the committee visited Geneva this time last year in advance of our membership to talk to the various key people involved. This is an opportune time for the committee to assess the first year of our membership. I invite Mr. Wrafter to make his opening statement. All of the officials are very welcome, including Ms Nicole Mannion and Mr. Brian O’Brien.