Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn is substituting for Deputy Matt Carthy and Deputy Thomas Pringle is substituting for Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice. For the purposes of speaking slots, Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan is substituting for Senator Paul Daly and Deputy Verona Murphy is substituting for Senator Victor Boyhan.

I remind members that in the context of Covid-19 restrictions, only the Chairman and staff are present in the committee room. All members must join remotely from elsewhere within the parliamentary precincts. The secretariat can issue invitations during the meeting on MS Teams. Members may not participate in the meeting from outside the parliamentary precincts. I ask members to mute their microphones when are not making a contribution. I ask them to use the raise hand function to indicate their wish to make a contribution. Please note that messages sent to meeting chat are visible to all participants. Speaking slots will be prioritised for members of the committee.

The agenda today is the pre-legislative scrutiny of the sea-fisheries (amendment) Bill 2021. It is a continuation of the pre-legislative scrutiny of the sea-fisheries (amendment) Bill 2021, with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Charlie McConalogue. The committee previously engaged with the Minister on this legislation on 20 April 2021 and, since then, we heard the views and concerns of stakeholders at our meeting on 11 May 2021.

I welcome back the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Charlie McConalogue, who is accompanied by Dr. Cecil Beamish, assistant secretary general with responsibility for fisheries, Ms Josephine Kelly, principal officer, sea-fisheries policy and management division, and Mr. John Kinsella, principal officer, legal services division. They are all joining remotely from a witness room in Kildare House and are all welcome to the meeting.

Briefing materials have been circulated in advance of this meeting to the members. The Minister's opening statement from the meeting dated 20 April 2021 has been re-circulated and is taken as read.

Before I call the Minister, I will read the note on privilege. Witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence they are to give to the committee. However, if directed by the committee to cease giving evidence in relation to a particular matter and they continue to do, they are entitled thereafter only to qualified privilege with respect to build 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 call on the Minister to make his opening remarks, which will be followed by questions from members.