Billy Timmins
Question:60 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Defence the steps he has to advance partnership in the Defence Forces structures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4808/02]
Written Answers. - Partnership Agreements.
As I indicated in reply to a similar question in December the representative associations PDFORRA and RACO signed and agreed to the terms of Partnership 2000 in November 1998, considerably later than other public service groups. Consequently, the process of setting up partnership arrangements in the Defence Forces did not commence as early as in other sectors of the public service.
Discussions were held with both representative associations in relation to the introduction of partnership structures in the Defence Forces. I have asked the Department to advance the resolution of a number of technical and procedural issues which have arisen. When these issues are resolved the Defence Forces national partnership steering group committee will be set up. Following this, individual partnership committees will be set up at local level.