Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment 1 to amendment No. 1:

To insert the following after "systems and structures to address these":

"calls on the Government to: — introduce a Bill for a referendum to insert Irish neutrality and a policy of non-membership of military alliances and not allowing its territory to be used by other states to transport war material or personnel to third countries for the purpose of war or other armed conflict into the Constitution; and

— close Shannon Airport to United States (US) military and US military contracted aircraft, including troop carriers".

There is a conscious campaign on the part of the political establishment in this country, in particular the Government, to undermine what is left of Ireland's neutrality. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael want to get rid of what is left of our neutrality in order to openly align Ireland with the US-led NATO and with the process of militarisation of the European Union. That is the agenda of the Government.

It is a bad time to be pushing such an agenda when the whole world can see what the Government's commitment to democracy, human rights and humanitarianism looks like in light of what is happening in Gaza and the fact that Genocide Joe Biden has cheered that on and Ursula von der Leyen gave it the green light. These are imperialist power blocs serving their own interests – the interests of their capitalist classes – just as the blocs of Russia and China do for theirs.

When we say that the agenda here is to undermine neutrality, we have mock outrage from the Government and some political commentators, who treat us as wild-eyed conspiracy loons for having such a notion. Last week during Leaders’ Questions, Micheál Martin did a great line in outrage and said that no one had ever suggested getting rid of neutrality and asked what we were talking about. In March 2022, Micheál Martin, then the Taoiseach and now the Tánaiste, said that neutrality was a “policy issue that can change at any time” and that we would not need a referendum to get rid of it. Fast forward to June 2022 and Micheál Martin, still the Taoiseach, told us that Ireland needed to reflect on our military neutrality. He has consistently said that we need to reflect on Ireland’s military non-alignment and military neutrality and that we are not politically neutral. One can find similar quotes from Leo Varadkar and Simon Coveney. It is clear that, when Putin’s imperialist invasion of Ukraine started, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil thought it was their opportunity to ditch the political straitjacket of the triple lock and neutrality and align Ireland openly with the western military and imperialist bloc. That was the plan. It came up against public opinion, a large majority of which continues stubbornly to defend neutrality in the face of all the exhortations from the politicians and political commentators for a “reasonable debate”, to be a “mature country” and so on.

So, the strategy switched from a full frontal attack on neutrality to undermining and tearing it up from below through deeds and then having the consultative forum with a definite plan in advance to recommend getting rid of the triple lock. The Government moved to sign Ireland up to the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, a NATO alliance that meets in NATO’s headquarters and in which Ireland has participated time and again, and involve Ireland in sending military assistance, albeit supposedly only paying for the non-lethal parts, and in militarily training soldiers involved in a war. This is the second part of the plan.

Multiple political commentators ridiculed those of us who said that the consultative forum was a ready up and that it had a definite plan. Mr. Pat Leahy had a whole bunch of pieces saying, “Ha, ha, ha, where is this attack on neutrality?” Well, here it comes. The only fig leaf provided for it is in the consultative forum. In the text of the forum’s report, Professor Louise Richardson wrote: "While there was not a consensus on this point, the preponderance of views, especially among the experts and practitioners, is that it is time for a reconsideration of the Triple Lock as it is no longer fit for purpose." The forum did its job. A completely stacked forum came out in favour of getting rid of the triple lock and the Government was then able to say that there had been a process and now it would move on. Where was the citizens’ assembly that Micheál Martin promised us? He said that we were going to have a citizens’ assembly and a proper debate. Was the problem the citizens in that assembly? The Government had to get rid of them because they were not going to go along with getting rid of the triple lock and neutrality. Instead, the Government had this sham process and an outrageous attempt behind the backs of the people to undermine and get rid of the triple lock.

Next the Government says that the triple lock has nothing to do with neutrality and asks us what we are talking about. On 18 December 2013, Micheál Martin stated that the triple lock was “at the core of our neutrality.” He was absolutely right.

There is no mandate whatsoever for this. Fianna Fáil did not campaign on it. Nor did Fine Gael or the Green Party. The programme for Government reads: "all overseas operations will be conducted in line with our position of military neutrality and will be subject to a triple lock of UN, Government and Dáil Éireann approval."

What is this about? The Government refuses to answer which sorts of mission it is in favour of sending Irish troops abroad for. In the Tánaiste’s speech to the Dáil last week and his opinion piece in the Business Post, he said that we would get rid of the triple lock, but not to worry, as any "deployment of Defence Forces personnel abroad will always be within the parameters of international law and the UN Charter". That does not make any sense. I am not sure if the Minister of State or Micheál Martin understands, but under the UN Charter, there are two legal ways the Government can send troops abroad – self-defence, which is provided for under Bunreacht na hÉireann and in which situation there is no need for the triple lock to be activated, and peacekeeping authorised by the UN Security Council. Anything within the UN Charter comes within the triple lock.

The Tánaiste went into more detail and suggested that regional organisations, for example, the African Union, the European Union, etc., could send troops abroad. Article 53 of the UN Charter is clear, in that no enforcement action shall be taken under regional arrangements or by regional agencies without the authorisation of the Security Council. In other words, the requirement of the triple lock would be met.

What is this about? It is about operations like Iraq. If it were not for the triple lock, Irish soldiers could have been sent to Iraq in a war for oil, profit and US imperialism.

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