Sinn Féin describes plans to amend deployment triple lock as ‘very dangerous’

By Cate McCurry, PA

A Sinn Féin TD has described the Government’s plans to amend Ireland’s “triple lock” on the deployment of Defence Forces peacekeepers overseas as “very dangerous”.

Pearse Doherty said Ireland has an international reputation of having respected peacekeepers throughout the world, which he said is under threat by the Government’s legislation to change the rules that govern how the country’s military is used abroad.

Under the current system, Ireland cannot deploy any more than 12 Defence Forces peacekeepers overseas without a peacekeeping mission being approved by a vote of the UN Security Council – as well as approval by the Government and the Dáil.

Under the draft legislation, it is proposed to increase the number of troops who are sent on peacekeeping missions from 12 to 50.

Speaking about the draft legislation, which was approved by the cabinet on Tuesday, Mr Doherty told BBCNI Good Morning Ulster programme: “It is very dangerous because we have a huge reputation and international reputation of respected peacekeepers throughout the world.

“Ireland serving with distinction, with the blue helmets, and it’s because of our military non-alignment, our military neutrality because of our use of diplomacy, our experience in conflict resolution that we have been able to get and garner that respect.

“The issue here is that when you get rid of the UN’s mandate, the UN being the multilateral organisation that we all should be trying to ensure is operating and is fit for purpose, when you get rid of that mandate you allow the Government of the day to decide which deployment of troops you want to be involved in.

“Whether it is peacekeeping, or not. Whether it is questionable or not, whether it is military misadventure or not. This is the issue and that is why the Irish people rejected the European treaties back in the day, on the issue of neutrality, which was central to the debate, that the Government came back and enforced that referendum but with the commitment that there would be a triple lock that the UN would have to sanction the deployment of troops abroad.

“It is very cherished by the Irish people.”

The Donegal TD said that Fine Gael has been “very clear” that they want to go beyond Ireland’s neutrality.

“They produced a document back in 2003 that called on us to enter military partnerships with the European Union. They wanted us to move away from neutrality. The taoiseach at the time, the leader of Fine Gael said neutrality is finished,” he added.

“This is an old policy of Fine Gael that they have been trying to push through for decades. In fairness during that time, Micheál Martin stood four square against them, said it was ideological nonsense, argued that this bogeymen idea of vetoes was nothing more than them trying to push through their policy of ending neutrality.

“Now low and behold, we have Fianna Fáil dancing to their tune.”

Earlier this week, Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Simon Harris claimed that the removal of the triple lock sends a message that Ireland “wants to take back” sovereignty when it comes to the deployment of members of the Defence Forces.

“We have a very proud track record in this country of peacekeeping and that’s what this is about, peacekeeping,” Mr Harris added.

“But the idea that any permanent member of the Security Council can have a veto, including Vladimir Putin, on where our Defence Forces go is not democratic.

“People go out in elections in this country and they vote for the democratically elected members of the Dáil. They elect Government and it is important that we provide that opportunity for those decisions to be taken here in Ireland.”