Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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All right, as we have a quorum, the Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis is now in public session and can I ask members and those in the public Gallery to ensure that their mobile devices are switched off? In commencing session 1 today, we will be hearing from Mr. Tom Considine, former Secretary General, Department of Finance. I would like to welcome everybody to the public hearing of the Joint Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis. Today we begin a series of hearings with senior officials from the Department of Finance who had key roles during the crisis period. At this morning's session, we will hear from Mr. Tom Considine, former Secretary General, Department of Finance. Tom Considine joined the Department of Finance in 1974. He was Secretary General of the public service management and development section of the Department of Finance from 2002 ... or from 2000 until 2002. Mr. Considine succeeded John Hurley as Secretary General of the Department of Finance in March 2002, a position he held until his retirement in 2006.

Mr. Considine, you're very welcome before the inquiry this morning. Before I hear from you, 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 to their evidence to this committee. If you are directed by the Chairman to cease giving evidence in relation to a particular matter and you continue to do so, you are entitled thereafter only to a qualified privilege in respect of your evidence. You are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given. I would remind members and those present that there are currently criminal proceedings ongoing and further criminal proceedings are scheduled during the lifetime of the inquiry which overlap with the subject matter of the inquiry. The utmost caution should therefore be taken not to prejudice those proceedings. Members of the public are reminded that photography is prohibited in the committee room. To assist the smooth running of the inquiry, we will display certain documents on the screens here in the committee room. For those sitting in the Gallery, these documents will be displayed on the screens to your left and right. Members of the public and journalists are reminded that these documents are confidential and they should not publish any of the documents so displayed.

The witness has been directed to attend this meeting of the Joint Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis. You have been furnished with booklets of core documents. These are before the committee, will be relied upon in questioning and form part of the evidence of the inquiry.

So, with that said, if I can now call on the clerk to administer the oath to Mr. Considine, please.