Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

That is where we are at. My concern is that we cut the triple lock without reform with this proposed legislation and then what emerges on the dancefloor is an EU or a regional-based sphere, that is the most likely stage which would be operated on. What we have in the EU now, for understandable reasons, particularly on its eastern borders, is this rising sense of militarism, defence spending, the threat from the east and all the rest. We would have no break and we would have removed a break that we probably need to ensure that we are not moved on a sliding scale towards something that is beyond a regional peacekeeping force.