‘Too much heat, not enough light’ in debate on ending triple lock, says Taoiseach

“Wild misrepresentations” and political efforts to play on people’s emotions have been used against the Government’s plans to scrap the triple lock, Micheál Martin has said. In a defence of the Government proposals due to be brought forward later this year, the Taoiseach said the “aggressive” denunciation of anyone who suggested changing security policies has got worse in Ireland in recent years. His comments follow a backlash within his own parliamentary party against the proposed change to the triple lock. The proposal was described by backbenchers as a “fundamental change” to Fianna Fáil policy.The triple lock is the mechanism under which Ireland can deploy more than 12 troops on missions abroad. Such deployments require the approval of the Government, Dáil Éireann and the United Nations Security Council. READ MOREThe Government has argued this gives countries such as Russia or China, which are permanent members of the UN Security Council, the power to veto Ireland’s participation in international missions. The UN has not agreed on a new peacekeeping mission since 2014. [ Triple-lock campaigners wish to stand by as Russia and others destroy peacekeeping – Martin ]This year the Government approved proposed legislation that would unravel the triple lock. But in June Martin told his own party that the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2026 would not be brought forward until the autumn. The Bill would scrap the need to get the approval of the UN Security Council before more than 12 soldiers could be sent abroad, requiring only the approval of the Dáil and the Government instead.Speaking at the opening of the West Cork History Festival in Inish Beg, Martin said the topic of security and sovereignty was “a difficult area which all too often sees debate filled with a lot of heat and very little light”.“This has particularly been the case here, where the tendency to denounce in the most aggressive terms anyone who suggests changing past policies has actually got worse over the years,” Martin said.He told the crowd at the Inish Beg Estate that the model of peacekeeping that Ireland had supported over the last 60 years “is likely to disappear unless we are willing to evolve our policies”.“Reforming the broken triple-lock mechanism for authorising peacekeeping operations has already been subject to wild misrepresentations and demagoguery. Yet the only alternative we have been offered is to do nothing and stand by as Russia and others continue to destroy international peacekeeping,” he said. “Without the practical ability to participate in peacekeeping, our neutrality would be exposed as actually involving nothing more than turning our back on the values of supporting peace and human rights which should define our approach.”In June, Fianna Fáil TD Willie O’Dea wrote a letter to party colleagues which said his party needed to discuss the planned reforms of the triple lock “as a matter of urgency.” “This is in view of the fact that this constitutes a fundamental change in traditional Fianna Fáil policy as enunciated in successive ardfheiseanna, policy manifestos, public statements, etc.” O’Dea said the triple lock “was also a central factor in enabling the Government to persuade the Irish people to support the Nice and Lisbon referendums”. Martin has previously said the Government needed to “socialise” its case for dismantling the triple lock with the public. The programme for Government commits to “reform the triple lock legislation while also ensuring that amendments to the legislation are in keeping with our values and policy of active military neutrality”.