Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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The committee is meeting today for our third session on bullying and its impact on the mental health of our students. Apologies have been received from Deputies Paul Kehoe and Pádraig O'Sullivan. I remind attendees to ensure that their phones are switched off for the duration of this meeting; even if they are working remotely from their office and their phones are on silent, phones can still interfere with the sound and the broadcasting equipment. The minutes of the meeting on 11 May 2021 have been circulated to all members. Are the minutes agreed by the members? Agreed.

The second item on the agenda is to meet with teachers and students unions on the topic of school bullying and the impact on mental health. On behalf of the committee, I welcome Mr. Matthew Ryan, welfare officer with the Irish Second-Level Students' Union, ISSU; Ms Anne Piggott, president of the Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland, ASTI; Mr. David O'Sullivan, assistant general secretary of Irish National Teachers' Organisation, INTO; and, Mr. David Duffy, education and research officer of the Teachers' Union of Ireland, TUI.

Witnesses are here today to brief the committee on school bullying and its impact on mental health. The format of the meeting is that I will invite Mr. Ryan to make an opening statement, then Ms Piggott, followed by Mr. O'Sullivan and then, finally, Mr. Duffy. Statements will be followed by questions from members of the committee. Each member has a six-minute slot in which they can ask questions and the witnesses can respond. I ask members to stick rigidly to the six minutes.

Before we begin, I remind members of the longstanding 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. As witnesses are giving evidence remotely from outside of the parliamentary precincts, they may not benefit from the same level of immunity from legal proceedings as a witness who is physically present does. Witnesses have already been advised that they may think it appropriate to take legal advice on this matter. They are reminded of the longstanding parliamentary practice that they should not criticise or make charges against any person or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable, or otherwise engage in speech that might be regarded as damaging to the good name of a person or entity. Therefore, if their statements are potentially defamatory in relation to an identifiable person or entity, they will be directed to discontinue their remarks and it is imperative that they comply with any such direction. I ask members, when it is their turn to speak, to confirm that they are in the precincts of Leinster House.

I call on Mr. Ryan to make his opening statement, followed by the other witnesses, as outlined. Witnesses have three minutes each, and I would appreciate if they could respect the three minutes.