Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The committee is now in public session. I remind members and guests to switch off their mobile telephones before we commence. Session A this morning is a public hearing discussion with Professor Gregory Connor from NUI Maynooth on issues relating to banking policy, systems and practices which may have underpinned the banking crisis in Ireland. I welcome everyone to the tenth public hearing of the Joint Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis. Later this morning, we will hear from Professor Eamonn Walsh from UCD.

I welcome Professor Gregory Connor, who is professor of finance at NUI Maynooth, having previously been part of the finance faculty at the London School of Economics and director of research at MSCI Europe. He specialises in portfolio risk analysis, factoring modelling, financial economics and security market pricing. Professor Connor holds a BA in Economics from Georgetown University and he received his doctorate in economics from Yale University.

Before we begin, I wish to advise the witness 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 Chairman to cease giving evidence in relation to a particular matter and they continue to so do, they are entitled thereafter only to a 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. As you have been informed previously, the committee is asking witnesses to refrain from discussing named individuals in this phase of the inquiry. 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 House or an official by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

I invite Professor Connor to make his opening remarks.