Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome Mr. Professor James Wickham, director, and Dr. Alicja Bobek, researcher, of Think-tank for Action on Social Change, TASC; Mr. Annie Hoey, president, and Mr. Daniel Waugh, vice president for campaigns of the Union of Students of Ireland; and Ms Edel McGinley, director, and Mr. Pablo Rojas Coppari, policy and research officer, of Migrant Rights Centre Ireland.

Before we commence, in accordance with procedure, I am required to read the following notice on privilege. 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 joint committee. If they are directed by the Chairman 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 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 an entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.

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 remind our guests that their presentations should be of no more than five minutes duration. The presentations submitted by today's attendees have been circulated to Members.

I invite a representative of the Union of Students of Ireland to make their presentation first, as Deputy Bríd Smith has to leave the meeting early. If one of the representatives would make the presentation, I will then take Deputy Bríd Smith's questions and we will then move on.