Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am glad the Taoiseach acknowledges the need for greater investment in the Defence Forces. We are all very aware of that. On the triple lock, however, the Taoiseach continues to say that retaining the requirement for a UN mandate leaves us at the mercy of Russia or China having a veto. The Taoiseach knows that the legislation underpinning the triple lock enables a UN mandate to give authorisation to the General Assembly and not the Security Council. The Taoiseach knows this. Further, it may be imperfect but the UN is the only legitimate international agency capable of authorising multilateral peacekeeping missions in which we would want to see Irish troops serving. It is imperfect and all of us want to see its processes reformed but nobody, including the Taoiseach, has offered any practical alternative. The Taoiseach spoke at an international conference yesterday and said that for small countries like Ireland “our only ultimate security is rooted in the international rules-based order”. He also commended Ukraine on fighting to uphold the principles of the UN charter. The UN represents an international rules-based order.

President Trump is intent on breaking up that order. He should be condemned for that by all democratic leaders in Europe, because he turned his back on us with his vote at the United Nations yesterday.

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