Patricia Stephenson (Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

There has been significant discussion in the media recently regarding the lifting of the triple lock mechanism and it is within this context that I ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs to come to the Chamber for a debate on the proposed Bill to remove the triple lock, which is included in the Government's spring legislative agenda. This is not just a technical change in policy that is being proposed. The triple lock is a fundamental part of our overall approach to peacekeeping and neutrality. The Government has said that there is no connection between the triple lock and neutrality: however this is simply not the case; they are deeply interconnected. The triple lock was devised to ensure our neutrality. It ensures that Ireland does not engage in military actions abroad without international legitimacy, which we gain through the UN. It aligns with Ireland's long-standing stance on avoiding military alliances.

The triple lock ensures that Irish peacekeeping forces operate under UN mandates and reinforces our commitment to collective security rather than military alliances. Everyone in this Chamber will remember the very tragic death of Private Seán Rooney in 2022 while on peacekeeping duties in Lebanon. We also all remember the encroachment on Camp Shamrock last year by the IDF and the calls from the public for the removal of our peacekeepers from the region, such was the fear of further deaths. It is within this context that the planned Bill to remove the triple lock is considered to be reckless, without outlining an alternative mechanism for deploying troops.

It is deeply ill-conceived to remove a mechanism that provides three layers of safeguards before the deployment of troops without providing a viable alternative. There should not be a Bill on the removal of the triple lock until such a stage as a viable alternative has been presented to the public and we have been given credible time to scrutinise and review that alternative mechanism.

I acknowledge that the Government has said it intends to maintain Ireland's policy on military neutrality. While I welcome that, by removing the checks and balances of the triple lock we risk engaging in military contexts outside the remit of our neutrality, and we also risk calling that neutrality into question on the international stage. I would welcome a debate on the matter.