Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We accept that the world has changed dramatically and that it is changing. We accept that it is right that we have a conversation to consider and examine Ireland's place in the world and what is necessary to ensure Ireland's security. It is also necessary to ensure that at such times, we do not set aside our integrity or our precedent, or that we do not do things out of short-term interest that can have profound long-term effects.

It is widely recognised that the triple lock is a neutrality protection. It was recognised in the now Taoiseach's statements when he was the leader of Fianna Fáil in opposition before he abandoned every principle in order to hitch his wagon to Fine Gael. The triple lock ensures that the democratic wishes of the Irish people are protected. The people rejected both the Lisbon and Nice treaties. The triple lock was sold to them on the basis that they would have nothing to fear from the ongoing drive towards militarisation and a centralised military command at a European level. In my view, only the Irish people can undo that democratic decision, which forms the basis of our current membership of the European Union. The rhetoric coming from the Government is dangerous. Abandoning the triple lock will allow any future Government at any particular time to engage Irish troops in a conflict situation that has no direct connection to Ireland. One wrong move could undermine decades of Irish diplomacy, humanitarian aid and the long-standing reputation we have across the world.

This is not about broadening our horizons. It is about a determination by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to abandon Irish independent foreign policy and lock us in entirely to an EU framework that will not always be in Ireland's interests. The triple lock neutrality protection must be protected by this Dáil and shame on anybody who votes to abandon it.

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