Professor Ray Murphy:

I am not quite sure I understand the question. The phrase "triple lock" is a little misleading. In 1960, we enacted the foundational legislation governing participation in UN peacekeeping operations. Until 1993, there was no substantial change to that. It always provided for a UN Security Council or General Assembly mandate or approval. You need that particular approval to legitimise and permit the Government to send troops abroad. It would be a serious mistake to get rid of that, which is what this legislation is proposing. You could easily call it the "double lock". The Deputy is right. Dáil and Government approval are required but the Government operates under a Whip system and has a majority in the Dáil, so unless the circumstances are extraordinary, if the Government puts forward a proposal, it will get the approval of the Dáil. In a sense, you could call it the "double lock" if you wish.

In the end, I do not especially like the term "triple lock" but it seems to have captured the public and political imagination. The legislative basis is that if we send troops abroad in a peacekeeping capacity, they should have UN approval. This legislation proposes doing away with that. That is the essence of it.