Changing triple lock without referendum a ‘profound betrayal’, claims Sinn Féin

Changing the triple lock without a referendum would be a “profound betrayal” by the Government, Sinn Féin has argued.

But the contention was branded “disingenuous and dishonest” by the Taoiseach during Leaders’ Questions on Wednesday ahead of a Dáil vote on reforms of the triple lock mechanism for deploying members of the Defence Forces abroad.

Under the current system, Ireland cannot deploy any more than 12 troops overseas without a mission being approved by the UN, as well as approval by the Government and the Dáil.

The Government is proposing to remove the requirement for formal UN approval and replace it with a stipulation that the deployments are in accordance with the UN Charter.

The Government argues this will prevent the five permanent members of the Security Council – Russia, China, the UK, the US and France – from exercising their veto against Irish peacekeeping missions.

Critics see the move as an effort to remove the core protections of the triple lock, erode Ireland’s long-standing policy of neutrality and practically align with Nato.

They have also contended that the current system allows the UN General Assembly to approve such a mission in the absence of a green light from the Security Council.

The Bill also includes draft proposals to amend provisions relating to the deployment of Defence Forces personnel in non-combatant evacuation operations and “peace enforcement”, and it is proposed to increase the number of troops who can be sent abroad without any “lock” from 12 to 50.

Micheál Martin has insisted reform is necessary if the Irish military is to have any prospect of engaging in peacekeeping, as he described the UN Security Council as “no longer functional”.

In the Dáil on Wednesday, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said the vote marks a “very significant day for Ireland” as she characterised the legislation as an attempt to dismantle the triple lock which would have consequences that “cannot be underestimated”.

She accused the Government of scrapping safeguards and clearing the way for Ireland to enter into “dangerous alliances”, which she said was not supported by the public.

She said: “You are tearing away current vital safeguards on the deployment of Irish troops overseas.

“You are clearing the way for this and for future governments to send Irish troops into military operations without a UN mandate.

“Scrapping the triple lock opens the door to Ireland being dragged into EU military structures, into dangerous alliances, and further alignment with Nato.”

Ms McDonald added: “None of this is supported by the Irish people.

“Yesterday, I put it to you that your plan to abolish the triple lock, to dismantle neutrality piece by piece, flies in the face of our country’s values – values of peace and peacekeeping, of diplomacy, of respect for international law, and crucially, independent Irish foreign policy.”

The Sinn Féin leader said the Taoiseach had no mandate and no political or moral authority to scrap the triple lock.

She said: “Your approach is to downplay, to dismiss, to trivialise.

“Your shameful manoeuvring, the dishonesty is staggering.

“This isn’t a technical issue; it’s not a minor matter. We’re talking about an enormous shift in foreign policy, one with far-reaching consequences for generations to come.”

Ms McDonald also criticised the move to “guillotine” speaking time on the debate as an attempt to “avoid scrutiny”.

“Ask this question in a referendum,” she said. “Let the people of Ireland call on this. Let the people vote on this, because anything else is a profound betrayal by your Government.”

In response, Mr Martin accused Ms McDonald of “undermining the whole process of parliamentary democracy” by demanding a referendum which did not involve any amendment, change, or deletion of the Constitution.

He said: “Your presentation of this issue is completely disingenuous and dishonest.

“Our reform of the triple lock is fundamentally about keeping alive the Irish tradition of peacekeeping, and indeed keeping alive our capacity to have an independent foreign policy.

“In no way does it undermine Irish military neutrality.”

Mr Martin said Sinn Féin was creating “false narrative after false narrative” and was essentially willing to “abandon our proud tradition of peacekeeping”, adding: “We are not – the only motivation here is to retain the capacity to participate in peacekeeping.

“You want Russia, the United States, and China to have the power of veto over whether Ireland ever again in the future participates in a peacekeeping mission.”

The Fianna Fáil leader pointed to the upcoming winddown of Ireland’s peacekeeping mission in Lebanon after the UN Security Council did not approve its extension.

Mr Martin described the Security Council as “no longer functional” and “paralysed”.

He said: “Let’s not pretend that everything will be rosy in the garden if we just don’t go through with reform of our legislation.

“It will not be – and we know that because the ending of the Unifil mission is happening because of the insistence of the United States to take away the Security Council’s support for the work that the Irish peacekeepers and many, many other peacekeepers working with us have been doing for many, many years in the Lebanon, endeavouring to keep the peace there.

“I do find it extraordinary that given Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – and remember they are on the Security Council, so here we have a member of the Security Council wilfully violating the UN Charter, committing terrible war crimes, bombing civilians – and it is your proposition that that country should have a veto on whether Irish peacekeepers enter into a peacekeeping mission.”

The Programme for Government includes a commitment to reform the triple lock legislation in line with a policy of active military neutrality.