Opposition politicians criticise "incredibly reckless" plan to scrap triple lock ahead of this week's vote

A number of opposition politicians have criticised the government's plan to scrap the triple lock. Minister for Defence Helen McEntee is expected to bring the Defence (Amendment) Bill to the Cabinet for approval in the following weeks.

The bill would remove the requirement for approval by the United Nations when deploying members of Irish Defence Forces outside the state. Forces may be dispatched following government approval, as well as a resolution passed by the Dáil.

Sinn Féin MEP for Dublin, Lynn Boylan, who is also the only Irish MEP sitting on the European Parliament's Committee on Security and Defence, criticised the Defence (Amendment) Bill in a statement.

"Scrapping the triple lock is an incredibly reckless move.

"Every poll shows repeatedly that Irish people value our neutrality, and the triple lock is a key part of protecting it.

"We know that our government can’t be trusted to stand up to international pressure on global issues, so it’s vital that we don’t leave decisions around deployment of our troops solely in their hands.

"The Triple lock is a vital fireguard between Irish neutrality and an increasingly militarised EU."

People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett also criticised the government's decision to remove the triple lock on his social media.

"The government is pushing ahead with plans to dismantle Irish neutrality and bind us ever more tightly to the imperialist powers, without even allowing a proper debate. We will oppose this every step of the way."

"The Irish people have no interest in being dragged into the wars of the powerful, fought for the interests of arms dealers, billionaires and imperialist states. Yet this government is determined to silence that opposition, desperate to secure its place alongside Trump, Von der Leyen and the warmongers at the head of NATO.

"Our neutrality belongs to the people, not the warmongers. Our future belongs to the working class, not the merchants of death. We refuse to let Ireland become a pawn in the wars of the ruling class."

 

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Legislation to remove the triple lock is expected to come into effect before the end of this year, if it is approved. Helen McEntee explained last week in the Cabinet that the new legislation is necessary following Ireland's recent withdrawal from Operation IRINI.

This was a European anti-arms smuggling naval mission in the Mediterranean. Ireland was forced to exit because the UN Security Council's mandate for the mission had lapsed. The Minister said not only was this damaging to the IRINI mission, it also prevented the Defence Forces from benefitting from the experience and knowledge sharing of the mission.

The current legislation for the triple lock is that no more than 12 troops can be deployed on an active mission overseas without the approval of the government, the Dáil, and the United Nations.