Dáil Éireann
DÁIL ÉIREANN AN COMHCHOISTE UM CHOMHSHAOL, CULTÚR AGUS GAELTACHT JOINT COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT, CULTURE AND THE GAELTACHT Dé Máirt, 10 Márta 2015 Tuesday, 10 March 2015 The Joint Committee met at 2.20 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT: Deputy James Bannon, Senator Terry Brennan, Deputy Robert Dowds, Senator Cáit Keane, Deputy Helen McEntee, Senator Labhrás Ó Murchú, Deputy Michelle Mulherin, Senator Ned O’Sullivan. Deputy Catherine Murphy, Deputy Fergus O’Dowd, Deputy Brian Stanley, DEPUTY NOEL COONAN IN THE CHAIR. 1 Electoral Commission: Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government Vice Chairman: I remind members to ensure their mobile telephones are switched off as they can cause serious problems for the broadcasting system. Apologies have been received from the Chairman, Deputy Michael McCarthy, who is unavailable. I welcome the Minister and his officials to the meeting. I thank the Minister for his attendance. By virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by abso- lute 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 continue to so do, they are entitled thereafter to only 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 asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against a person or an entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.
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