We will now commence the meeting.
Business of Joint Committee
I have to leave early as I have to attend a meeting of the committee on the Good Friday Agreement.
I will allow the Deputy to speak first if he wants to leave early. I have received apologies from two Members of the Seanad, Senators Jim Walsh and David Norris. The draft minutes of the meeting of 18 February have been circulated to members. Are the minutes of that meeting agreed? Agreed. Unless there are matters arising from these minutes, we will proceed with the main business of the meeting. I invite our witnesses to come before the meeting.
I will try to get this meeting over in less than two hours as I have an important group to meet at 4.30 p.m., so I ask members to confine themselves to questions rather than statements.
A one hour meeting would be fine.
Two hours is fine.
Never mind two hours. There is a meeting of the committee dealing with the Good Friday Agreement at 3.15 p.m.
We will try to get it done as quickly as possible.
I apologise for missing the beginning of the meeting. I was called out to try to start another meeting. I believe the minutes have been agreed in my absence. Is that correct?
Yes.
Could I ask for an amendment to the minutes? I submitted a detailed document about the role of the Islamic community in organising in Irish villages, among other things, as part of its exercise in addressing the Syrian humanitarian crisis and other work it does as a charitable organisation. The minutes state that it is noted. This was an important project. It was comparable to the work that other religious groups like Trócaire, GOAL, and Christian Aid were doing, and this group should at least be afforded a meeting to explain its humanitarian work in these areas of crisis. Rather than having noted the document, can we follow it up with a request to hear from it about the work the Muslim community in Ireland is doing on behalf of those in distressed regions?
We note that and will follow up on it.