Defence Forces taking part in EU missions without triple lock 'could breach neutrality'

Irish Examiner

a day ago

Ireland's Defence Forces could become embroiled in peacekeeping missions that could jeopardise Ireland's military neutrality if Government proposals to scrap UN authorisation for such deployments is passed, an Oireachtas committee has heard.
Ray Murphy, a professor at the Irish Centre for Human Rights, University of Galway, said if Ireland took part in an EU force without a UN mandate — with the monitoring and controls coming with that — it could end up in situations not originally envisaged that would end up breaching our neutrality.
Prof Murphy was one of three academics who took part in a three-hour session at the Oireachtas defence and national security committee, which is holding hearings on the Defence Bill 2025. The draft legislation proposes to remove the requirement for UN approval to send Defence Forces abroad. It also plans to increase from 12 to 50 the number of personnel that can be sent overseas without the Government needing the support of the Dáil.
Defence Bill 2025
The bill would authorise Irish troops to take part in an 'international force' for the purposes of peacekeeping, conflict prevention, and international security 'consistent with the principles of the United Nations charter'.
Examples of such bodies include the OSCE, the EU, or 'any other body' that operates in manner consistent with UN principles.
All three academics at the committee are strongly opposed to the Government proposals to remove the 'triple lock'.
It is not clear if the committee is due to hear from academics who are non-committed on the issue or who are in favour of removing the triple lock.
Prof Murphy said: 'Any deployment of Defence Forces with an international force will be subject to certain mandatory principles. These are that the particular international force will be mandated to operate for peacekeeping, conflict prevention, and/or strengthening international security, in accordance with international law and consistent with the principles of the UN.'
He asked who would determine if a regional body 'operates in a manner consistent' with the UN charter and international law, especially if Security Council or General Assembly approval is not obtained.
Situations on the ground 'can change'
Prof Murphy said situations on the ground can change and that Irish troops 'could become embroiled in something' that wasn't originally envisaged — and that such a situation could 'certainly jeopardise' military neutrality.
He described the proposals as a 'betrayal' to commitments made by governments to its citizens and that they would grant any government 'excessive authority'.
Karen Devine, lecturer in European politics at DCU, told the committee that as an academic her job is to 'tell the truth'. She said public support for neutrality has been consistent over the decades, with four in five people in favour of it.
She alleged that 'militarists', consisting of the EU, Nato, and the military-industrial complex, 'seek to eradicate' Irish neutrality including the triple lock and want to 'militarise' the EU.
She further alleged that these were joined by 'university agents', (professors she effectively identified), think tanks, and the 'mass media', who promoted this agenda.