Vol. 474 No. 5
92 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for Defence the number of representative bodies recognised by him; the number of meetings, if any, held between them and his Department in 1995 and 1996; the name and dates of his own meetings or addresses, if any, to such bodies since his appointment; and the amount contributed by his Department, if any, in subventing such associations. [3357/97]
Four bodies are recognised as representing members of the Defence Forces — the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers and the Permanent Defence Forces Other Ranks Representative Association for members of the Permanent Defence Force; the Irish Nurses' Organisation for Army Nursing Service personnel and the Reserve Defence Force Representative Association which represents members of the FCA and Slua Muirí. In addition to these bodies there are a number of associations and organisations which represent retired personnel such as the Association of Retired Commissioned Officers, the Defence Forces Pensioners' Association and the Organistion of National Ex-Servicemen and Women.
As regards subventions, £54,000 per annum is paid to PDFORRA in respect of postage, telephone and accommodation costs. Accommodation in the Department's offices in Park House is provided to RACO and the association has access to the Department's internal postage and telecommunication facilities, RDFRA receives £30,000 per annum by way of subvention and office accommodation has been provided for the association in Clancy Barracks, Dublin.
Meetings with the associations take place on many levels, both formal and informal. Approximately 70 meetings with the four Defence Forces representative bodies took place in each of the years 1995 and 1996, the majority of which were with RACO and PDFORRA. I had 11 meetings with representatives of RACO, PDFORRA and RDFRA between my appointment as Minister for Defence and the end of 1996. I addressed the annual delegate conferences of both RACO and PDFORRA in 1995, the annual delegate conference of PDFORRA in 1996 and a RACO special delegate conference in January of this year. I have also attended a number of functions where I met representatives of the association informally.
