Taoiseach and McDonald clash over Triple Lock removal

Updated / Wednesday, 11 Nov 2026 13:21

Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald have clashed over the potential deployment of Irish troops to Lebanon amid renewed debate over the Government's plans to remove the Triple Lock.

Ms McDonald used her Dáil time during Leaders' Questions for the second successive day to call for a referendum on the Coalition's proposal.

The Triple Lock only allows the deployment of more than 12 members of the Defence Forces overseas when it has been agreed by the Government, the Dáil and the UN.

The Government hopes to enact contentious legislation to facilitate its removal by the end of the year.

The debate in the Dáil comes on the eve of the European Political Community summit in Dublin tomorrow - with the Secretary General of NATO Mark Rutte among those scheduled to attend.

Ms McDonald claimed the Government "wants to get rid of the Triple Lock to allow the deployment of Irish soldiers on an EU-led mission to Lebanon"

"Not a peacekeeping mission, but a partisan intervention in one of the most fraught and dangerous parts of our world.

"You want to change Ireland's role from peacekeeper in Lebanon ... to instead deploy them as part of an EU mission to act in the interests of Israel in disarming Hezbollah," she told the Dáil.

Speaking as Gaeilge, Mr Martin claimed Ms McDonald's presentation was "unbelievable" and did not represent the truth.

"You're getting more desperate by the day and you're going low to endeavour to try and create the impression and narrative that somehow the Irish military personnel would somehow be deployed in favour of Israel in Lebanon.

"[It] is a despicable outrageous distortion of truth and of the narrative," Mr Martin said.

Defending the Coalition's plans, he added: "You talk about a UN mandate, we know the UN Security Council is dysfunctional.

"I would say instead of a UN mandate, you're saying it has to have a Russian mandate. Russia is on the Security Council. If we insist on a Security Council mandate in today's world, we are saying we are insisting on a Russian mandate."

However, Ms McDonald reiterated her insistence that there should be a referendum on the Triple Lock.