The Tánaiste and Minister for Defence, Simon Harris this week secured approval from the Coalition Government to reform the “triple lock” – a mechanism that stops more than 12 Irish peacekeepers being deployed without the approval of the Oireachtas, government, and UN.
Harris’s push to end the mechanism has proved controversial with Sinn Fein and other opposition TDs, who have argued this week that the public are in favour of preserving both Irish neutrality and the triple lock. Tipperary TD Mattie McGrath this week spoke out against the proposals, urging Ireland to retain its tradition of neutrality.
It comes as the State plans to buy its first fighter jets in 50 years, marking a turning point in Ireland’s approach to defence, ending decades of reliance on the UK to protect Irish skies. The UK’s Royal Air Force has been tasked with intercepting and responding to aerial threats in the Irish airspace, through a “secret bilateral pact” in place. Some €2.5 billion is to be spent on the fighter jets, with the Irish Times reporting that Simon Harris has requested detailed costs for between eight and 14 combat aircraft over the next 20 to 25 years.
Under the Tánaiste’s proposals, the Irish Naval Service will be renamed the Irish Navy, giving Ireland “a defensive conventional maritime warfighting capability,” and doubling the fleet to 12 ships.
In a press release on Tuesday, Mr Harris said that proposals to reform the Triple Lock, if successful, will “reinforce Ireland’s ability to pursue an independent foreign policy by removing the power of UN Security Council permanent members to veto our national sovereign decisions, while ensuring our continued compliance with the highest standards of international law.”
Under the draft proposals, the number of Defence Force personnel that can be deployed as part of an overseas peace support operation without a Dáil Resolution will increase from 12 to 50. The Bill will now be sent for pre-legislative scrutiny.
In addition to the changes to the triple lock, the Bill also includes draft proposals to amend provisions relating to the deployment of Defence Forces’ personnel in non-combatant evacuation operations.
“The Irish people are rightly proud of the role that members of the Defence Forces have played in peacekeeping missions right across the world. It’s a record that dates back to 1958 and one that has remained unbroken ever since.
“But under our current triple lock system, countries like Russia have the power to veto Ireland’s participation in missions via their role as permanent members of the UN Security Council. We don’t believe that Putin or other leaders should have a veto on whether our troops can be deployed. And that’s so why I’m pleased to secure Government approval today to reform the Triple Lock, as we committed to under the Programme for Government,” Mr Harris said.
The Tánaiste added: “We are living in a new era in Europe, in which Ireland also faces significant new security and defence challenges, and we must consider how best to respond. Ireland has a longstanding policy of military neutrality, meaning that we do not participate in military alliances or common or mutual defence arrangements. Let there be no doubt, the proposed amendments to this legislation in no way affects Ireland’s policy of military neutrality and it will ensure we remain fully consistent with the principles of the UN Charter and international law.”
However, speaking in the Dáil on Tuesday, Sinn Fein’s Mary Lou McDonald hit out at the push to remove the mechanism, saying that there was “deep public concern regarding the Government’s moves to dismantle the triple lock and undermine Ireland’s neutrality.” The party has described proposals as “very dangerous.”
“People ask why Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael do not bring that same urgency when dealing with housing, access to healthcare or the cost of living,” McDonald said. It has never been more important for Ireland to protect and assert our long-standing neutrality fully intact. The meeting with the US President presents an opportunity to address Ireland’s interests,but also a moment to speak honestly with him and voice Ireland’s position clearly on pressing international affairs.”
Independent TD Mattie McGrath also waded into the debate this week, saying that he was “very concerned” about Irish neutrality.
“To quote our Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s own words from 2009 – The Triple Lock is sacrosanct, we can’t mess with it, we have to keep it – it’s ironic that we would even contemplate this […] Europe is talking about spending €800 billion or more on war mongering and war weapons, so what’s gone wrong here? We have to stay neutral and keep our neutrality,” McGrath said.
Retired Irish Army Captain and Independent Trinity Senator, Tom Clonan, told the Seanad on Tuesday that “a conversation needs to be had in Ireland about the much-publicised Government plans to get rid of the triple lock” as he stressed this could mean any future government could send any number of Irish troops to any country, regardless of the wishes of the public.
“It is one thing to get rid of something but what will it be replaced with? That is not yet clear but I am sure it will be when the legislation is published. My hope is that the legislation is not guillotined in the way so much legislation has been in this House.”
“This is not the fault of any one person but there was a tendency towards the end of the last Government for legislation to be not put through pre-legislative scrutiny and to be guillotined and pushed through the Houses. This happened with the wording of the two amendments to the Constitution that were rejected by the people last year,” Senator Clonan said.
“We need to be very clear what we mean if we remove UN authorisation as one of the layers of the triple lock. In effect, this would mean that the only recourse is Government approval and Oireachtas approval. However, if there is a simple Government majority, as is the case now, it means that any future Government can send any number of Irish troops anywhere in the world, without recourse to the wishes of the Irish people.”
“We need to be really careful about that.”
Senator Clonan said that while he trusted his colleagues and the government, it remains the case that “governments get it wrong.”
“If we get it wrong in the sending of Irish men and women – our children and grandchildren – it is a very serious matter,” he added.
The Trinity Senator proposed that “under no circumstances” should a simple Government majority be allowed to send Irish troops abroad when the number is over 50.
“It is reported that the Government will put in place a new threshold of 50 troops. I imagine that such a detachment could be dispatched by Cabinet in the event of an emergency. I do not have an issue with that. At the moment, the number is 12. That is impractical. I would have suggested 120. If it is more than 50 troops to be deployed, a two-thirds majority of the Dáil and Seanad should be required and there should be a free vote, with no Whip imposed. Everybody should vote with their own conscience when putting men and women in harm’s way.”
The Senator also said that no TD or Senator should be “whipped into making a decision to send our troops into harm’s way.”
Senator Gerard Craughwell expressed being on “the other side” of the Triple Lock debate.
“The Triple Lock is like having your children come to you to ask if you mind if they go on summer camp, and you say that you are sorry but they will have to go up the road and ask the neighbours, and if the neighbours say it is okay, then they can go. We are a sovereign state. We were a proud sovereign state until 2001, when the Triple Lock was introduced. The Triple Lock needs to go. I do not disagree with what Senator Clonan said with respect to building in safeguards so we do not finish up sending troops somewhere.”
The Independent Senator said he would ask Irish politicians to consider decisions that have been made since the start of the war in Ukraine, pressing: “Does our Constitution mean anything?”
“I would ask people to look at the decisions that have been made and then to look at Article 29.5.1° of our Constitution and ask themselves whether that particular section of the Constitution has been breached. We talk about neutrality all the time here.
“Neutrality is an irrelevancy unless there is a war and a country is faced with a war on its doorstep, at which time it would decide whether or not to be involved. If one decides not to be involved, then it does not matter who kills who as one is not going to get involved.
“It is as simple as that. Article 29.5.1° places a grave onus on the Government when it is making decisions to have sight of the Constitution and what the Constitution says with respect to raising armies and supporting armies. I believe we need to do that and do it fairly urgently.”
It comes as some 400 academics signed a letter addressed to the Government against Cabinet proposals to amend the Triple Lock. This included some 54 Trinity staff and researchers, who expressed concern over the draft proposals.
The letter addressed to Mícheál Martin read: “Considering that a recent opinion poll showed that 75 percent of Ireland’s population favours maintaining Ireland’s current policy of neutrality, it would appear that your Government has no mandate to revoke the Triple Lock.”
“The Triple Lock is a central component of Ireland’s neutral position because it essentially stands as a bulwark against deploying Irish troops unless there is a UN mandate to do so. In other words, the Triple Lock guarantees that troop deployment may only take place under the auspices of the UN system, as a guarantor of international peace and security. Removing the Triple Lock may sound the death knell on Irish neutrality.”