Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I remind members, witnesses and those in the Visitors Gallery to please ensure their mobile telephones are switched off for the duration of our meeting as they interfere with the broadcasting of proceedings. It also causes interference for the members of staff. I thank everyone for being here this morning. Apologies have been received from Deputies Catherine Byrne, Regina Doherty, Peter Fitzpatrick, Ciara Conway, Eamonn Moloney and Senator Colm Burke. Deputy Catherine Byrne and Senator Imelda Henry had to leave us this morning.

We are beginning our first in a series of meetings dealing with the issue of concussion in sport. With sport increasingly becoming played at a faster speed and with greater physical intensity at both professional and amateur level, the number of concussions appears to have increased and the issue has become very prominent with many of the sporting and medical boards expressing concern. For most of us, concussion is something to be associated with elite sports people and involves physical contact. The reality is concussion can affect anyone who undertakes any type of physical activity. It is an issue that is relevant to everyone from those in the school yard, to the recreational walker, to the person who plays five-a-side, to the club player and to the elite sports person.

Unfortunately, head injury awareness is limited. It is important to bring attention and focus to the issue, so that the focus is not just on high profile incidents but across the spectrum of society. I welcome the committee's deliberations and wish to inform people that at the end of our hearings we will produce a report. We will meet with a wide variety of medical professionals and a range of stakeholders, including athletes and sporting organisations, to explore the various issues around concussion. At the end of the process, which I hope will be rewarding and in keeping with the tradition of this committee, we will hopefully have an increasing awareness of concussion.

I welcome Professor Michael Molloy who I have known for almost 30 years. I first met him as a student working as a porter in University College Cork hospital. Professor Molloy is an eminent consultant rheumatologist and is chair of the concussion advisory group at the Faculty of Sports & Exercise Medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland. He is a former chief medical officer to the Irish Rugby Board and a former Irish rugby international player. Dr. Padraig Sheeran is dean of the Faculty of Sports & Exercise Medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland. Professor John Ryan is the consultant in emergency medicine in St. Vincent's University Hospital and the team doctor with the Leinster rugby team. Dr. Michael Farrell is the consultant neuropathologist from Beaumont Hospital. Dr. Éanna Falvey is director of Sports and Exercise Medicine at the Sports Surgery Clinic and also works with the Irish rugby team. You are all very welcome and I thank you for being here. This is the first of two meetings this morning.

Before we begin, to remind people on privilege, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence you are to give to the committee. However, if you are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence in relation to a particular matter and you continue to do so, 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 that where possible you should not comment on, criticise or make charges against any person or entity by name or in such a way as to make them identifiable and members are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice or ruling of the Chair to the effect that members shall not comment on, criticise or make charges against any person outside the House or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him identifiable.

This is the first of two meetings. I am hoping with the co-operation of all that this meeting will conclude between 11.15 a.m. and 11.20 a.m. to allow people time to change the tapes for recording of the next session, which will begin at 11.30 a.m. and which must end at 2 p.m.

I call on Professor Molloy to make his opening remarks.