Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy can call it a double lock. I have said publicly that the legislation will have to be within the framework of the United Nations Charter and international humanitarian law and that the spirit, the esprit de corps, of the United Nations will inform any decision by the Government and the Dáil, which would legislatively reflect that.

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The UN has endorsed the utilisation of regional groups, be it the European Union, the OSCE or the African Union, in peacekeeping missions. These are potential fora in any decision to participate in a peacekeeping mission.

There is a point that we have to deal with honestly in the House. I genuinely do not feel the issue of the paralysis at the Security Council has been addressed by Members. I am labelled disgraceful, yet it seems people are suggesting, by implication, that it is okay that Russia, given its current status and nature as an imperial power that has behaved disgracefully with its illegal invasion of Ukraine and the destruction of 85% of all energy infrastructure in Ukraine, should have a veto over whether we participate in peacekeeping. Russia deploys the Wagner Group all over the world, including in Africa. Are we seriously suggesting that, in this day and age, a power like Russia should be vetoing Ireland’s participation in peacekeeping? I can give examples. We had to fight very hard at the Security Council regarding Operation Althea, whereby we have five members in Bosnia and Herzegovina. There was a genuine challenge. We have five members; they would have had to pull out. It is really problematic. We see this in the Middle East. The Security Council is not fit for purpose anyway, given current global circumstances, in respect of which there should be far more representation and fewer vetoes.

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