Vol. 561 No. 5
264 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 294 of 5 February 2003, if the answer is correct, in view of the fact that membership of An Taisce cannot be accessed by members of the public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4992/03]
The organisation in question is an independent non-governmental body. While my Department has no responsibility for its organisational arrangements, its constitution and the identity of its national officership are in the public domain. The reply to Question No. 294 of 5 February 2003 was provided in good faith having regard to this background. I intend, however, to provide explicitly in future that grant assistance by my Department to non-governmental organisations should be conditioned on their maintaining a constitution and rules of membership that are open and transparent.
