Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour)
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As we have a quorum we can commence public session and I ask our guests to be seated. There will be a number of items of private business later, including the proposed visit to Luxembourg and London. Members can go through those afterwards.

I remind guests and witnesses that they should turn off their mobile phones. It is insufficient to put them on a silent setting as they could interfere with the recording equipment. We have not received any apologies today.

On behalf of the committee I welcome H.E. Dr. Gints Apals, ambassador of Latvia to Ireland. I welcome him and thank him for meeting us today to discuss the programme and priorities of the first Latvian Presidency of the European Union. The Presidency seeks to build on the competitiveness agenda of the EU by promoting growth and job creation. The Presidency will also focus on enhancing engagement with our EU neighbours and looking at the all-important Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, TTIP, agenda, which this committee has debated internally in the past. We look forward to exploring these issues with the ambassador.

Before beginning, I remind members of the long-standing parliamentary practice 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 a way that makes him or her identifiable.

I advise the 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 so do, 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. They are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against any person or persons 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 any official by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.
I invite the ambassador to make his opening remarks.