Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 25: To ask the Minister for Defence the centres that applied to his Department to have a Permanent Defence Forces presence at their 2008 St. Patrick's Day parade; if he will list those that were refused and those agreed; the description of the presence in each of the successful centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20149/08]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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The Permanent Defence Forces receive many requests each year to participate in St. Patrick's Day parades throughout the country. Every effort is made to accede to each request as participation in the various parades highlights the community profile of the Permanent Defence Forces. Regrettably, not all requests can be met in full and occasionally some have to be refused due to prior commitments, for operational reasons and scheduling difficulties. The following are the details of Permanent Defence Forces participation in parades on St. Patrick's Day of this year for which prior approval was sought through my Department.

Local arrangements are often made for smaller participation by units of the Permanent and Reserve Defence Forces; these have not been included in the above.