Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Apologies for their absence have been received from Senator Billy Lawless and Deputy Darragh O'Brien. Today we are meeting with Dr. Karen Devine of the Dublin City University, DCU, school of law and government, as part of a series of meetings on the potential impact of Brexit on areas identified as falling within the remit of this committee. At the end of a series of hearings over the coming weeks the committee will prepare a report on relevant aspects of the potential impact of Brexit. On behalf of the committee I welcome you, Dr. Devine, and look forward to hearing your presentation. As a highly acclaimed academic with published papers on Irish foreign policy and given your recent work on Irish foreign policy post-Brexit, it will assist the committee greatly in contributing towards Government policy during and after the period of Brexit negotiations. The format of the meeting is that we will hear your opening statement before going into a question and answer session with the members of the committee.

Before we begin, I remind members, witnesses and people in the Visitors Gallery to ensure their mobile telephones are switched off completely for the duration of the meeting as they cause interference, even on silent mode, with the recording and broadcasting equipment in the committee room. Today's meeting is being broadcast live on Oireachtas TV and also across the various media platforms.

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 or body outside the Houses or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.

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. However, if they are directed by the Chairman to cease giving evidence on 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 and they are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against any person, persons or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.

I invite Dr. Devine to make her opening remarks.