Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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I welcome the delegates from the National Asset Management Agency, Mr. Frank Daly, chairman, Mr. Brendan McDonagh, CEO, Ms Gillian Barrett, head of group financial reporting, Mr. Michael Moriarty, deputy head of asset recovery and Mr. Seán Ó Faoláin, head of strategy and communications.
The format we will follow today is that Mr. Daly and Mr. McDonagh will make their opening remarks. In advance of the meeting, we collated questions from committee members and submitted them to NAMA. I thank Mr. Daly and Mr. McDonagh for responding in writing to these and their responses have been distributed to members. These responses, together with the input of our witnesses today, will I hope cover all the key topics. We will follow the presentations today with a question and answer session to clarify any matters.
I remind members, witnesses and those in the Public Gallery that all mobile phones must be switched off. I advise witnesses that 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 they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and they continue to do so, they will be entitled thereafter only to a qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. Witnesses are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise nor make charges against any person or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.
Members are reminded of the long-standing ruling of the Chair to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the Houses or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.