Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party)
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I welcome everyone to this meeting of the committee. This afternoon we will continue our pre-legislative scrutiny of the local government (directly elected mayor with executive functions in Limerick city and county) Bill 2021. I am delighted to welcome our guests to the committee to help us with our deliberations on this Bill. We are joined by Dr. Eoin O'Malley and Professor Deiric Ó Broin from Dublin City University, DCU, Ms Dee Ryan from Limerick Chamber of Commerce, and Mr. John Moran from Liveable Limerick. I will invite the witnesses to make their opening statements and if they could keep them to five minutes that would be helpful for the running of the committee as we are pressed for time. Opening statements will be available on the website after the meeting.

I will read a note on privilege. Members attending remotely within the Leinster House complex are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the presentations they make to the committee. This means they have an absolute defence against any defamation action for anything they say at the meeting. However, they are expected not to abuse this privilege. If their statements are potentially defamatory in relation to an identifiable person or entity, they will be directed to discontinue their remarks. I remind members of the constitutional requirement that members must be physically present within the confines of the place which Parliament has chosen to sit either Leinster House or the Convention Centre Dublin.

For witnesses attending remotely, there are some limitations to parliamentary privilege and, as such, they may not benefit from the same level of immunity from legal proceedings as a person who is physically present.

It is an exciting time for Limerick, it being the only place to agree to a directly elected mayor. I thank the witnesses for joining us this morning as we scrutinise the heads of the Bill. We will make suggestions to the heads of this Bill before it is drafted. I invite Dr. O'Malley or Professor Ó Broin to make the opening statement on behalf of DCU. I would appreciate it if they could keep their opening statement to five minutes.