Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

In exercising his statutory duty of care to his troops, the Irish commander of the 99th infantry battalion deployed with the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad, MINURCAT, conducted a risk assessment of all activities, including sporting activities, carried out by personnel deployed in the theatre of operations.

It was the commander's assessment that the risk of hospitalisation or permanent repatriation of personnel due to sports injuries was not acceptable to him as all personnel are required for operational deployments on immediate notice. He, therefore, imposed a ban on competitive contact and other sports such as soccer and volleyball. A wide range of sporting activities including unarmed combat skills, running and the use of a well equipped gymnasium remains available to troops based in Camp Ciara.

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