Joe Sherlock
Question:36 Mr. Sherlock asked the Minister for Defence if he will make a statement on his address to the recent annual conference of RACO. [26054/02]
Written Answers. - Defence Forces Personnel.
As Minister for Defence in this and the previous Government, I have addressed five annual conferences of the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers, RACO, and six annual conferences of the Permanent Defence Forces Other Ranks Representative Association, PDFORRA. On each occasion I have sought to make my address relevant, positive and informative and have discussed topics of interest to the military delegates, their colleagues and the wider community.
My two most recent addresses were to the PDFORRA annual delegate conference in Ennis on 9 October and to the RACO annual delegate conference in Tralee last month. I believe that both were well received by the assembled delegates.
I am grateful to the Deputy for his interest in my addresses to the conferences and I have arranged for copies of my two speeches to be forwarded to him for his information.