Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour)
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We will continue now with our consideration of the review of Europe's 2020 strategy. On behalf of the committee I thank all of the organisations that made submissions to the committee. We solicited public comment on the strategy and received a number of submissions. Today, we are delighted to hear from some stakeholders. I welcome Dr. Pat Ivory, who will address the committee, and Mr. Erik O'Donovan, both from IBEC. We are also joined by Mr. Paul Ginnell from the European Anti-Poverty Network, Ms Brid O'Brien from the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed and Ms Lorraine Mulligan from SIPTU. Together, they represent the Better Europe Alliance and Mr. Ginnell will address us on their behalf.
Before we go ahead with their contributions, I remind witnesses that by virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence they are to give the committee. If they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and continue to do so, they are entitled thereafter only to qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. They are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against any person or an entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.