Triple lock under threat, Murphy says

People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy has criticised attempts by Cabinet to undo Ireland’s triple lock mechanism.

First reported by the Irish Independent, Tánasite and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris is planning to bring plans to Cabinet which would see Ireland undergo a shift in foreign policy.

A draft article from the Department of Defense justified the attempt to reverse Ireland’s stance on the triple lock citing “dysfunction” at the United Nations Security Council and the need to protect Ireland’s ministers on foreign trips and assist Irish citizens in case of emergency. 

Such a change would need to receive approval from both the Cabinet and Dáil.

Dublin South-West TD Paul Murphy said removing the triple lock would lead to Ireland finding itself in lockstep with “a Western imperialist alliance dominated by Von Der Leyen and Trump, in preparation for future wars.”

Murphy cited quotes from Taoiseach Micheál Martin in 2013 where he said that the triple lock “was at the core of our neutrality” and said that any attempts to change the policy was “an out-of-touch ideological obsession on the part of Fine Gael”.

Furthermore, Murphy directly quoted Fianna Fáil’s 2020 general election manifesto, which stated Ireland “must maintain neutrality and the Triple Lock.”

“Fianna Fáil reaffirms its commitment to the retention of the triple lock of UN mandate or authorisation, Government and Dáil approval, prior to committing Defence Forces personnel on overseas service,” their manifesto read.

In a statement on Friday morning, Fianna Fail TD Malcolm Byrne said “the UN Security Council is increasingly fragmented, dysfunctional and contested; it has not approved a new peacekeeping mission in almost a decade.”

Government sources, quoted by the Irish Independent, said “the triple lock effectively allows Security Council members including Russia to bind Ireland’s hands in its international engagement.”

Russia, China, the United Kingdom, France and the United States are the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and the Irish government has expressed anxiety that they are “beholden” to the whims of Russia and China.

The triple lock featured in the manifesto of every major party in November’s general election; Fianna Fáil said that “sensible reform” of the system was needed, Fine Gael said that they “are committed to strengthening Ireland’s defence capabilities while preserving our longstanding policy of active military neutrality.”

Sinn Féin and Labour both called for referendums to enshrine the right to Ireland’s neutrality into Ireland’s constitution as well as keeping the triple lock.

The Social Democrats called for a citizen’s assembly on the topic (and possibly a referendum) to protect the triple lock, the Greens said they oppose any attempts for Ireland to join NATO (but supported the building of a naval base in Dún Laoghaire) while People Before Profit said they would fight what they perceive as any and all threats to Ireland’s neutrality.

Murphy said, “the government must clarify what sort of missions they are considering sending troops on that they cannot currently.”

“Previous government indications that they will only send troops on missions within the framework of the UN Charter are not credible as that’s already covered within the triple lock process,” he said.

Murphy asserted, “the real reason the government wants to abolish the triple lock is that it wants to be free to send Irish troops to fight and die wherever the big Western powers see it as in their strategic interests – without any need for UN approval.”

“For this, they want to send young working class men and women to fight and die in new colonial wars.”

The People Before Profit TD dug up June 2022 comments from former Minister for Defence Simon Coveney where he said “I cannot recall a time when the triple lock has prevented us from sending Irish Defence Forces personnel and peacekeepers to a part of the world where we believe they can make a positive contribution”. 

The Dublin South-West TD insisted that there are more pressing problems closer to home.

“Ireland currently has crippling housing, public service and infrastructure crises. Instead of war-mongering and spending vast sums on militarisation, we need to defend what is left of Irish neutrality and focus our resources on building the homes, the infrastructure and the public services that we desperately need,” he said.

“It is critically important that the government’s attempt to remove the triple lock is defeated. We may not have the numbers in the Dáil to do this, but working with political parties on the left, the trade unions and progressive civil society we can mobilise vast numbers in the streets to face the government down. People Before Profit public representatives and members will work tirelessly to this end.”

Speaking before his re-election to the European Parliament last June, Fianna Fáil MEP Barry Andrews said the triple lock is “outdated” and “not fit for purpose.”

“Ireland is a sovereign state and has the right to make decisions about where to send its soldiers. Presidents Putin, Xi Jinping, and potentially Trump, should not have a veto over the Irish government. We must give ourselves the flexibility to deploy our peacekeepers wherever we want, whenever we want.”

“The triple lock approach has not been fit for purpose for a number of years. The UN Security Council has failed to approve a single new peacekeeping mission in over a decade, and in an era of increased geopolitical competition, it seems unlikely that new missions will be approved any time soon.

“Peacekeeping and humanitarian efforts are at the core of the international reputation of the Irish Defence Forces. We should be incredibly proud of the reputation of the Irish Defence Forces around the world.”

He said, “this decision will not change this reputation, contrary to what some commentators would have you believe.”