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

The programme for Government refers to reforming the triple lock legislation. It was reported last Friday that a draft law to end the triple lock will shortly be brought to Cabinet. Will the Taoiseach provide some detail on this? In what way is the triple lock going to be ended or reformed? Back in 2013, the Taoiseach, who was not then Taoiseach, hit the nail on the head when he said that the triple lock was at the core of our neutrality and described the attempt to remove it as an out-of-touch ideological obsession by Fine Gael. That is, unfortunately, an obsession the Taoiseach has now adopted, and it seems with even more gusto than Fine Gael.

The Taoiseach might clarify, but I think he was in government when the invasion of Iraq took place. I was on the streets protesting against the invasion of Iraq. I see some other people in the Chamber who were also on the streets protesting. I think the Taoiseach was in government and that Government of course, while not sending troops - because it could not do so under the triple lock - to participate in that invasion, did facilitate the invasion by allowing US troops to go through Shannon Airport. Some 4 million have gone through the airport at this stage. The triple lock was the one thing that meant the Government could not send troops abroad to participate in the US-led war of invasion and occupation for oil and profit.

This attack on neutrality is being done in a very misleading way, so I want to challenge the Taoiseach on a couple of assertions, in particular on one he has made repeatedly. He talks about this being about getting rid of the veto the Security Council powers have on the deployment of our forces. Does the Taoiseach accept that no such veto exists because of the Defence (Amendment) Act introduced in 2006, which makes clear that it is not only peacekeeping missions endorsed or agreed by the Security Council that unlock the third element of the triple lock but that resolutions of the General Assembly of the UN would also do so?

The Taoiseach has a duty to tell people which missions he wants to send Irish troops on that he cannot currently do. The triple lock is currently in place. Where would he like to send Irish troops that he cannot because of the existence of the triple lock? He has a duty to inform people about that.

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