Cross-party group launches Irish Neutrality League campaign to defend Ireland's triple lock

'The biggest obstacle to Ireland taking part in peacekeeping missions has been the neglect of the Defence Forces' said Sinn Féín TD Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy, Independent TD Catherine Connolly, Irish Neutrality League convenor Sara O'Rourke, and Independent senator Alice-Mary Higgins at the launch of the cross-party initiative on neutrality. Picture: Cillian Sherlock/PA

Opposition parties and politicians have relaunched the Irish Neutrality League in a bid to protest planned changes to the triple lock.

The league was reconvened during the last Oireachtas term campaign for retention of the triple lock. Currently, the triple lock mechanism only allows deployment of 12 or more troops where there is a mandate from either the UN Security Council or UN General Assembly; Irish Government approval; and a Dáil resolution.

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

The Government recently took the first steps in dismantling the triple lock, saying that it could no longer leave it up to the UN to decide where Irish troops are sent.

Sinn Féin Cork South-Central TD Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire speaking to media on Wednesday in Buswells Hotel where the Irish Neutrality League announced its cross-party initiative on neutrality. Picture: Sasko Lazarov/Rollong News

A statement from the group of opposition members said that “as global conflict and global tensions continue to rise and a drive towards militarisation of the EU intensifies, the voice of neutral countries and the work of peace is more important than ever”.

Relaunching the league, opposition politicians from Sinn Féin, the Social Democrats, and People Before Profit, as well as certain Independents in the Dáil and Seanad, promised a “robust” defence of the triple lock. Irish Neutrality League convenor Sara O’Rourke said the group would be organising a number of events, including a public rally in Dublin on May 10.

People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy said the cross-party convening under the Irish Neutrality League was a “crucial initiative”.

He was critical of the Government not progressing the Occupied Territories Bill in this session while deciding to “effectively fast track the deletion of the triple lock”.

People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy, Independent senator Alice-Mary Higgins, Irish Neutrality League convenor Sara O'Rourke, Social Democrats TD Sinéad Gibney, Sinn Féin TD Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire and Independent TD Catherine Connolly launching the cross-party initiative on neutrality. Picture: Sasko Lazarov/Rolling News

Mr Murphy said the changes mentioning the UN Charter do not “make any sense” because the triple lock was designed to effectively enshrine the charter into Irish legislation.

He added: “We obviously will do everything that we can in the Dáil, in the Seanad, in the committees to expose what is happening and to oppose this erosion of neutrality.”

Sinn Féin TD Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire said the Government proposal is “putting the triple lock in the bin”.

“Actually, the biggest obstacle to Ireland taking part in peacekeeping missions has been the neglect of the Defence Forces.”

Social Democrats TD Sinéad Gibney said the Government proposal “is a mammoth step away from neutrality, to eradicate the triple lock means that we no longer have the multilateralism which satisfies our neutrality, and to increase the cap from 12 to 50 is a huge step, which really eradicates any oversight of the deployment of troops”.