The Taoiseach informed the Dáil that “absolutely protect Ireland’s neutrality” will be ensured by government legislation resolving the Triple Lock on the deployment of the Defence Forces abroad, reports RTE.
“Ireland’s neutrality is not at risk,” Mr Harris said, reports RTE.
The existing Triple Lock system only permits the deployment of more than 12 troops abroad with UN mandates from the Security Council or General Assembly, as well as consent from the Government and Dáil.
It has been ten years since the Taoiseach authorised the creation of a new UN peacekeeping force.
He said this is a result of “the increased use of the threat of the use of the veto by permanent members of the UN Security Council,” reports RTE.
He was replying to TD Bríd Smith of People Before Profit, who stated that no peacekeeping deployment has ever been prevented by a veto since the Triple Lock was implemented in conjunction with the Nice Treaty in 2001.
“So it is a distortion to say that that is the reason. Whatever it takes, you are trying to drag Ireland into a pact with EU militarisation,” she said, reports RTE.
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