Latest news with #GeneralSchemeoftheDefence(Amendment)Bill2025
RTÉ News
2 days ago
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Reformed Triple Lock would not impact neutrality
Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Simon Harris has said he does not believe a reformed Triple Lock would impact Ireland's policy of military neutrality. The General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025 would remove the need for UN Security Council approval when deploying more than 12 members of the Defence Forces overseas when they are serving as part of an international force. Draft legislation is currently in a scrutiny process which is expected to last eight weeks, after which a Bill will be drafted to go to Government for approval before going through the various stages of the Oireachtas. The proposal has faced criticism from some Opposition TDs, who believe it could impact Ireland's long-standing policy of military neutrality. However, Mr Harris said it should be up to the people of Ireland to decide where Irish peacekeepers are deployed, and that many neutral countries have no triple lock policy. "I strongly believe that such consideration on international engagement should be within our sovereign control," he told the Dáil this morning. "The people of Ireland decide where our peacekeepers go, their democratically elected officials decide, not people who've never received one vote in any constituency in this country. "That's how our democracy works, how many neutral countries work. The Triple Lock is not the norm in other neutral countries." He added: "There are militarily neutral countries, quite a number of them, that have no triple lock. There are many, many, many ways you can be a military neutral country and not have a triple lock. "People in Ireland including me have a love for our military neutrality, we want to be militarily unaligned, the people of Ireland have an overwhelming desire for that." Independent TD Catherine Connolly told the Dáil that Taoiseach Micheál Martin once called the Triple Lock a "fundamental part and the core of our neutrality". "Perhaps you should talk to him about that, when did that change?" she said. Social Democrats TD Sinead Gibney said she was struck by the draft legislation's "apparent lack of human rights monitoring mechanisms" which could be included as safeguards for the deployment of troops to peacekeeping missions. Mr Harris responded saying the UN charter would be "at the heart" of the safeguards of the reformed legislation. He said the mandate of any request for troops to participate in a peacekeeping mission would also be in compliance with Irish law and foreign policy as well as carrying the consent of the host nation and a trust in partners. Labour TD Duncan Smith said he did not believe peacekeeping outside the UN was something that Government can "take a punt on". He told the Dáil: "I don't think we should rush into removing the triple lock as part of this legislation at all. There is a process of reform ongoing in the UN, I think we should be leading on that. "I fundamentally believe in the UN and any future of peacekeeping outside the UN is not something we can take a punt on at this point." Mr Harris said the geopolitical situation has evolved "extraordinarily rapidly" in the last number of years. He asked what Ireland would do if the UN did not renew the mandate under which Ireland's "brave men and women serving in Lebanon" operate. What if one of the permanent members, "Donald Trump or Vladimir Putin", or an Elon Musk-driven cost savings measure, led to a veto on the mission, he asked. Mr Harris said he believes should that happen, those peacekeepers should remain in place.
RTÉ News
29-05-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Triple Lock safeguards 'notional', senator tells cttee
The Defence and National Security Committee is debating legislation that would remove the need for UN approval when deploying more than 12 members of the Defence Forces overseas when they are serving as part of an international force. The General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025 aims to reform the so-called Triple Lock. Opposition parties and a number of independent TDs have vowed to fight the bill. Independent Senator Tom Clonan questioned the wisdom of the proposal. "By government majority, any future government can send any number of Irish troops to any conflict anywhere in the world," Senator Clonan said. Bernie Maguire, Assistant Secretary of the Department of Defence, said that for more than 50 troops, Dáil approval would be needed. Mr Clonan asked whether only "a simple government majority" would be needed. Ms Maguire agreed. He added that the Government plans to remove the Triple Lock and be in a position to send troops anywhere for any purpose, whether for "peacekeeping, peace enforcement or full combat operations" "With safeguards built in," Ms Maguire responded. Mr Clonan said that any safeguards were "notional" and would not exist "in law". "When you remove the Triple Lock, there is no safeguard in law," he added. Committee chairperson, Sinn Féin TD Rose Conway-Walsh, noted that she had allowed Senator Clonan extra time as he had raised important matters. Ms Maguire said that the power currently lies with the "P5", or five permanent members of the UN Security Council. This is "why there hasn't been any new peacekeeping missions for the last 11 years," she added. "There is a fear it won't pass," Ms Maguire said, with at least one the permanent members likely to veto any peacekeeping proposal. Independent TD Brian Stanley asked if, under the Government's proposals, Ireland would be "taking sides in a conflict without UN sanction". Ms Maguire accepted that "there wouldn't be a UN mandate" but said this does not mean that UN principles would not apply. If it was an EU mission, she said, "the EU always adhere to international law and the UN charter". Mr Stanley dismissed a Double Lock, saying that a Dáil majority would "count for nothing. That's window dressing", as any government would have such a majority. "The legislation as you framed it completely disregards the will of the Irish people," he added.
RTÉ News
20-05-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Legislation to change Triple Lock to be published this week
Legislation that will remove the need for UN approval when deploying more than 12 members of the Defence Forces overseas will be published before the end of the week. Tánaiste Simon Harris updated Cabinet today on the progress of the General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025 to reform the so-called Triple Lock. Irish Defence Forces members have been involved in overseas peacekeeping since 1958. Mr Harris said it would reinforce Ireland's ability to pursue an independent foreign policy. The Tánaiste intends to write to the chair of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Defence and National Security to request consideration of the Heads of Bill. There is a desire in the Government to complete any pre-legislative scrutiny before the summer recess. "The legislative amendments proposed will remove the power of UN Security Council permanent members to veto our national sovereign decisions, while ensuring our continued compliance with the highest standards of international law, and without surrendering our own sovereignty," the Tánaiste said. Opposition parties and several Independent TDs have vowed to strongly oppose any changes to the Triple Lock.
