Ba mhaith liom fíor chaoin fáilte a chur roimh an Seanadóir Piaras Ó Dochartaigh ó Thír Chonaill, atá anseo in ionad an Seanadóir Ivana Bacik. Guím gach rath air. Le cúnamh Dé, beidh muid in ann comhoibriú le chéile.
Everybody is welcome. I formally welcome Senator Pearse Doherty, who has joined our committee instead of Senator Ivana Bacik. We are delighted to have Senator Doherty with us and wish him every success. We look forward to working with him in the committee.
I have a brief point. I know that with the Seanad vote, Senator Doherty will have to leave. I wish to welcome the Senator, as the Chairman has done, and to say that his presence has been crucial because we could not have started without him. He will now leave and this will probably be his shortest attendance here. I wish him every success in the committee.
I agree completely.
The joint committee went into private session at 11.42 a.m. and resumed in public session at 11.45 a.m.
Apologies have been received from Lady Sylvia Hermon MP, Mr. Pat Doherty, MP, and Deputy Ruairí Quinn.
I propose we note the apologies of Deputy Seymour Crawford, who is indisposed this morning and was not in a position to communicate it.
We got a message to that effect. We also have apologies from Deputy Seymour Crawford and we would like to wish him well. He was with us yesterday. We also have apologies from Mr. Eddie McGrady MP. I warmly welcome Dr. Alisdair McDonnell MP from Northern Ireland and we are delighted to have him.
A vote has just been called in the Seanad and consequently, our Senators must leave for the vote. I remind members and those in the Visitors' Gallery to ensure that mobile phones are switched off completely for the duration of the meeting as they cause interference, even on silent mode, with the recording equipment in our committee rooms.
Minutes of the meetings of 25 February 2010 have been circulated. If there are no matters arising from them, are they agreed? Agreed.
