Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Mac Lochlainn is substituting for Deputy Carthy and Deputy Pringle is substituting for Deputy Fitzmaurice. Apologies have been received from Senator Paul Daly.

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

Our agenda today is fishing quotas and decommissioning. I would like to welcome the following representatives of the fish producers' organisations. I welcome Mr. Seán O'Donoghue, CEO, and Mr. Ciaran Doherty, chairman, from Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation Limited, who are joining us from a committee room. I also welcome Mr. John Ward, CEO of the Irish Fish Producers Organisation, Mr. Patrick Murphy, CEO of the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation and Mr. John Lynch, CEO of the Irish South and East Fish Producers Organisation, who are all joining remotely. They are welcome to the meeting.

Our guests will be given five minutes each to make their opening statements before we go into questions and answers. Before we begin, I have an important notice to give on the topic of parliamentary privilege. Witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to the committee. However, if they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and they continue to so do, they are entitled thereafter to only 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.

Participants in the committee meeting from a location outside the parliamentary precincts are asked to note that the constitutional protections afforded to those participating from within the parliamentary precincts does not extend to them. No clear guidance can be given on whether or to what extent their participation is covered by absolute privilege of a statutory nature.

I now call on Mr. O'Donoghue of the Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation to make his opening statement.