Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)

The Minister said the decision was taken in light of the need to have all troops ready for duty and that permanent repatriation was not something that could be countenanced. How many troops have been permanently repatriated since the Irish troops went to Chad? Has this kind of restriction ever been imposed before for troops on overseas missions?

If I understood the Minister correctly, the two sports that are banned are soccer and volleyball. Are other physical contact sports banned or is it possible for troops to play them?

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