Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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As we have a quorum the meeting is now in public session. Apologies have been received from Senators Gallagher and McDowell. Senator Diarmuid Wilson will act as a substitute for Senator Gallagher. I remind members to turn off their mobile phones or at least switch them to flight mode.

We have one specific item for the public session today which is an engagement with the Minister for Justice on the opt-in to the Council decision on a negotiating mandate for a readmission agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Kazakhstan. Members have been informed that there is an urgency to this matter and therefore, the Minister has not referred this item to the committee and instead is giving this oral briefing. We thank the Minister for taking the time to brief the committee on this matter in advance of the consideration by both Houses of the Oireachtas, which I am told will take place the week after next. The format of today's meeting is that I will invite the Minister to brief the committee on this matter and this will be followed by any questions or comments members may have. On behalf of the committee, I welcome the Minister and his officials to the meeting and invite him to provide us with an opening statement.