Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

The practice I have adopted is that the general officers visit the troops serving in the various missions during St. Patrick's week. So as not to coincide, I try to visit one of the missions as near as possible to that week. Last year we travelled to Liberia and this year to Lebanon. The troops seem to appreciate us doing it this way. As far as the St. Patrick's Day celebrations are concerned, this year I will visit troops who were in Lebanon and will travel abroad on behalf of the country.

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