Legislation to remove Triple Lock passes Dáil vote

Legislation to dismantle the Triple Lock is a profound betrayal of the Irish people, the Dáil has heard.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald accused the Government of clearing the way to send Irish troops into military operations without UN approval.

She said the Government has no mandate or moral authority to overturn previous commitments.

Ms McDonald added that the dishonesty from the Government was staggering in what is an enormous shift in foreign policy.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the change is about keeping the tradition of Irish peacekeeping alive.

He said the only motivation is to retain the capacity to participate in peacekeeping.

Mr Martin said Sinn Féin wants Russia, China and the US to have a veto over Ireland taking part in peacekeeping.

He stated that the UN Security Council is no longer functioning and he insisted that the ending of the Triple Lock does not involve any change to the Constitution and therefore does not require a referendum.

Earlier, Minister for Defence Helen McEntee also said there will be no referendum on Triple Lock legislation.

She said the public have "put their trust" in politicians to bring in changes, and that "there is a democratic process taking place here".

Speaking at RACO’s conference in Trim in Co Meath, Ms McEntee said: "Firstly by putting any form of this into our Constitution, it actually makes it more difficult for us to respond to the changing world, to respond to evolving threats, to work closely with our partners, be it in the EU or beyond.

"And we have to, as a Government working with our Defence Forces, working with our gardaí, and others, be able to respond at a time the world is changing.

"Secondly, I think it’s really important that the people who are democratically elected, our TDs, everybody of which will have a say as the legislation passes through – that we progress this and that we have a say," Ms McEntee added.

She said the public have "put their trust in us".

People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy accused the Taoiseach of seeking to remove, rather than amend the Triple Lock.

Mr Murphy asked Mr Martin "do you think people have no memory at all?".

He was referring to what he described as "over a hundred thousand people" who marched against Iraq in 2003.

"You were a minister in a government who facilitated that illegal, imperialist invasion" by allowing US troops to stop over in Shannon Airport.

Mr Murphy said a top civil servant had told the defence committee that if the Triple Lock had not been in place, the Irish Government could have legally sent Irish soldiers to participate in that invasion.

"You have misrepresented the position again and again," Mr Murphy said.

He said the Taoiseach was not amending the Triple Lock, but removing it.

Mr Martin said what Mr Murphy was proposing was Ireland depending on Russia - which he described as "behaving like a rogue state".

He said Mr Murphy was "deliberately creating a false narrative" about the UN.

"Again it would be for the government or the Dáil to decide what military campaigns to get involved in," the Taoiseach added.

"We're very good at the peacekeeping, particularly good at it ... that's all we want to continue.

"People who join our military understand fully the importance of peacekeeping and the impact on ...neighbourhoods who benefit," he said.