Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour)
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We are delighted to welcome to the Public Gallery students from University College Cork, who are joining us to learn about the committee's work. We are also delighted to see the others in the Public Gallery. I remind members and our guests to switch off their mobile telephones. It is not sufficient to put them on silent mode; they must be switched off completely. Otherwise, they can interfere with the recording equipment. Today's proceedings are being broadcast live on the Internet and we do not want interference with that.
On behalf of the committee, I welcome Ms Noelle O'Connell of European Movement Ireland, EMI. She is joined by Councillor Neale Richmond, also of EMI. Ms O'Connell will address the committee on EMI's 2013 accountability report. As members know, EMI is an independent, not-for-profit, membership-based organisation that works to develop the connection between Ireland and Europe. It has published a number of accountability reports previously, tracking Ireland's engagement with the EU at a number of levels, and each year suggests areas in which improvements can be made. The report has been described as a score card on key areas of Ireland's engagement and I welcome an opportunity to discuss it. I am particularly interested in a discussion of this committee's engagement. The report examines the number of meetings that we have every year, attendance at same, whether Ministers appear before us at pre-General Affairs Council meetings, etc. The report is a useful summary of the committee's work and I look forward to discussing it.
Before commencing, I remind members of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not criticise, comment on 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. By virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence they give to the committee. If they are directed by the Chair to cease giving evidence on a particular subject and they continue to do so, they are entitled thereafter only to qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. They should not criticise or make charges against a person or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.
I invite Ms O'Connell to address the committee on EMI's latest accountability report.