Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Fáilte roimh uilig go léir. I have no recorded apologies at this time. I remind members to turn off their mobile phones or switch them to flight mode.

The purpose of the meeting is to have an engagement with the Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris, on policing matters. While we intend the engagement to focus on policing generally, we have also asked the Commissioner and his team to focus on areas such as recruitment and retention, the divisional and operational model, community policing and road traffic policing. On behalf of the committee, I welcome our guests to the meeting. The Commissioner is joined by the deputy commissioners, Shawna Coxon and Justin Kelly. I thank all of them for agreeing so promptly to attend the meeting and to be the first public guests of this committee.

Before I invite the Commissioner to deliver his opening statement, I want to advise the witnesses of the following in relation to parliamentary privilege. Witnesses and members are reminded of the long-standing 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 a speech that might be regarded as damaging to the good name of the 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. It is imperative that they comply with such a direction.

Before I invite the Commissioner to introduce his team and to make his opening statement, I wish to record again, on behalf of this committee, our sympathies to all members of An Garda Síochána on the tragic death of Garda Kevin Flatley. That instance, and the subsequent incident where a member of An Garda Síochána was injured, showed the dangers and perils into which his members put their lives in service to our communities on a daily basis. Following the Commissioner's opening remarks, I will invite members to indicate to me to put questions. We will need to put some sort of time limit in place. I will have a better sense of that when I have an indication as to how many members are in attendance and how many have indicated to speak. I encourage all members to be as prompt and brief as they possibly can in order to ensure we have the fullest of deliberations. I invite Commissioner Harris to make his opening statement.