Catherine Callaghan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I thank the witnesses for coming in. I will speak as quickly as I can. To correct the record, if I said, or was interpreted to have said, that our militarily neutral status is irrelevant, I did not mean it is insignificant. I was speaking about it not being relevant to the conversation about the triple lock. I, too, have signed the oath of allegiance to the State. I have worn the blue beret. Our military neutrality is embedded within me and is important. I do not want to conflate the notion that our neutrality and the removal of the triple lock are the same thing. They are not. They are two separate conversations. I agree with my colleagues that we need a robust conversation about our neutrality, as the Cathaoirleach mentioned.

Just to get to my question, in their expert opinion, can our guests foresee any detrimental, unintended consequences that could arise from the removal of the requirement for Ireland to ask permission from the US, UK, China, France and Russia for where we deploy our own troops?