Paul Murphy
Ceist:168. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Defence if she will drop plans to abolish the triple lock; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12199/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 17 February 2026
Ceisteanna (168)
Freagraí scríofa
The Defence (Amendment) Bill, aimed at revising how we deploy our Defence Forces overseas is a priority for publication during the current parliamentary session. The drafting of the Bill is continuing with the Office of Parliamentary Counsel and publication of the Bill is a key priority for myself and for the Government in this term.
It also includes amendments to the Defence Acts to provide for the suspension, in certain circumstances, of a member of the Defence Forces, as well as associated matters.
Under the current proposals in the general scheme to amend the legislation, the requirement for a UN Security Council mandate will be removed. I again underline that the legislation in place allows members of the UN Security Council, by means of a veto or indeed threat of same, to bind this country's hands in its international peacekeeping engagement. Recent vetoes by a UN Security Council member on a proposed resolution for a full and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza last June, as well as the challenges evidenced last summer with regard to the extension of the UNIFIL peacekeeping in southern Lebanon, are ample evidence of this.
With regard to the latter particularly, in the event that the UNIFIL mandate was not extended, Ireland would have been in the position of having to plan to withdraw its Defence Forces personnel from UNIFIL immediately following the expiration of the mandate. The extension of the UNIFIL mandate until the end of this year permits the continued deployment of Defence Forces personnel to the Mission, however, but they must be withdrawn from then.
Both I and Government believe therefore that it is untenable to continue with this policy. Any considerations on international peacekeeping engagement should be within Ireland's exclusive sovereign control and decision-making on this should be purely within the remit of our Government and our Oireachtas, which have been democratically elected by the people of this country.
I recognise, however, that in removing the UN Security Council mandate requirement there will be a need to strengthen the democratic oversight governing the ongoing deployment of Defence Forces personnel overseas. Therefore, in parallel to removing the UN mandate requirement, text will be included in this Bill which will require that the mandate of future operations be consistent with, and adhere to, the principles of the UN Charter and international law. These principles are being refined to ensure appropriate legal effect as part of the drafting process.
Government’s intention to reform this legislation followed detailed consideration of the recommendations of the Consultative Forum in 2023 and the inputs of a wide variety of stakeholders into this process. Analysis undertaken highlighted the increasing constraints posed by the requirement for a United Nations Security Council mandate in circumstances where the Council is frequently unable to act due to the use, or threat, of the veto. This limits Ireland’s ability to participate meaningfully in UN mandated or UN endorsed operations that support international peace and security, including those directly aligned with our long standing peacekeeping traditions.
Prior to and since my appointment as Minister for Defence, engagement on this matter has been extensive. Discussions have been held with Cabinet colleagues, with members of the Oireachtas, and with relevant Departments as part of the development of the proposals and the associated legislative preparations. Officials from my Department and the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Permanent Mission in New York have ongoing engagement with international partners, including at the United Nations, to provide clarity regarding the nature of the proposed reforms and to reiterate that Ireland remains fully committed to multilateralism, peacekeeping, and the principles of the UN Charter. Furthermore, both the Taoiseach and Tánaiste have met on a number of occasions with senior UN personnel and have discussed the proposed changes and I intend to engage directly with them in the near future.
There also has been very detailed engagement, most recently as part of the Pre-Legislative Scrutiny (PLS) in 2025, which provided the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Defence & National Security with the opportunity to examine to consult relevant stakeholders on the proposed Heads of the Bill. The Committee conducted a very thorough piece of work which reflected the views of a wide range of stakeholders. I updated the Government on 27th of January in relation to my views on the recommendations as set out in the report. I advised Government that I will be preparing certain amendments to the General Scheme, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General.
I want to make it absolutely clear that the Government has no desire to alter our policy of military neutrality. The amendments proposed will do nothing to change Ireland's traditional position of military neutrality, which has always been characterised by Ireland's non-participation in military alliances. Our engagement overseas will continue to be firmly grounded in the principles of the UN Charter and international law and will, of course, require the consent of the democratically elected representatives of the people of Ireland.