Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The chain of command would apply, and this would entail the person immediately above one.

Again, these prohibitions apply only where a member of the Defence Forces is in uniform or otherwise identifiable. That is all we are talking about here. I believe we all accept that the military plays a unique role. There has been strong military advice on this requiring that military command, discipline and so on be borne in mind. The issue here is necessity and proportionality. People accept it is necessary to have provisions in this area, but members are querying their proportionality and applicability. We are stressing that this is a matter of the prohibition applying while in uniform.