asked the Minister for the Environment if he is now in a position to indicate when he proposes to meet the Irish Countrywomen's Association to discuss with them the question of the wearing of luminous arm bands by pedestrians at night.

The Minister met representatives of the Irish Countrywomen's Association on 28 April 1981 and discussed this matter with them.

Why did it take such an inordinate length of time for the Minister to meet this association? What decisions were reached at that meeting?

I do not think it took such a long time to meet the representatives of the association. At the meeting there was a very worth-while discussion of the problem and there was more or less general agreement that even if statutory authority existed for the enforcement of the wearing of arm bands, that might not be the proper way of approaching the matter. The representatives of the association pointed out that in certain areas arm bands were not worn to the same extent as in other areas. They offered their co-operation, starting next year, in the campaign to make people more aware of the need to wear arm bands. Their co-operation is very much appreciated.