Vice Chairman:

The purpose of this afternoon's meeting is to engage with officials from the Department of Health, representatives of the Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA, and the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner on pre-legislative scrutiny of the general scheme of thehealth information and patient safety Bill. Parts 6 and 7 were addressed by the then Joint Committee on Health and Children in the Thirty-first Dáil.

On behalf of the committee, I welcome Mr. Muiris O'Connor, assistant secretary, Dr. Kathleen MacLellan, Mr. Kieran Smyth, Ms Bernadette Ryan, Mr. Peter Lennon and Ms Louise Kenny from the Department of Health.

By virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to the committee. However, if they are directed by it to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and continue to do so, 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 and are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against any person or an entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable. I advise that any opening statement or other material submitted to the committee may be published on its website after the meeting.

Members are reminded 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 such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

I now invite Mr. Muiris O'Connor to make his opening statement.