Frank Crowley
Question:20 Mr. Crowley asked the Minister for Defence if he will outline (a) when he last had a meeting with RACO, (b) the details discussed and (c) when further meetings will take place.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Meetings with Army Associations.
Michael Finucane
Question:21 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Defence if he will outline (a) when he last had a meeting with RACO, (b) the details discussed and (c) when further meetings will take place.
Nuala Fennell
Question:26 Mrs. Fennell asked the Minister for Defence if he plans to meet the Army Spouses' Association to discuss matters of serious concern to them.
Madeleine Taylor-Quinn
Question:31 Mrs. Taylor-Quinn asked the Minister for Defence if he recently met with representatives of PDFORRA; if so, if he will outline the nature of the discussions, and if the unease and dissatisfaction that exists among the troops was brought to his attention.
Nora Owen
Question:51 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for Defence when he plans to meet the Army Spouses Association to discuss matters of serious concern to them.
Paul McGrath
Question:61 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Defence if he recently met representatives of PDFORRA; if so, if he will outline the nature of the discussions, and if the unease and dissatisfaction that exists among the troops was brought to his attention.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 20, 21, 26, 31, 51 and 61 together.
On 6 May 1992 I met representatives from each of the two associations — RACO, the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers and PDFORRA, the Permanent Defence Force Other Ranks Representative Association — and a wide range of issues was discussed at the meetings. These associations have been established pursuant to section 2 (1) of the Defence (Amendment) Act, 1990, following elections which were conducted within the Permanent Defence Force. They are the appropriate associations to represent the views of their members in relation to matters coming within the scope of representation of the associations formally established under that Act.
The representative arrangements drawn up in agreement with the associations provide for representative activity at the following levels: barracks level; command level; Defence Forces Headquarters level and national level.
A range of matters has been agreed as appropriate for discussion at each of those levels. Accordingly, matters which the associations may wish to pursue will, in the first instance, be raised at the appropriate level. I will be available to meet members of the national executives should such a meeting be necessary at any stage.