Kilkenny senator calls for Seanad debate on Triple Lock

Kilkenny-based senator Patricia Stephenson has raised the proposed removal of the Triple Lock in the Seanad, calling on the Government to urgently outline proposed changes in the upcoming Defence Bill. 

Senator Stephenson, a member of the Social Democrats, has asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Minister for Defence to participate in a debate in the Seanad on the proposed bill to remove the Triple Lock, which is in the Governments’ Spring Legislative Agenda.

“The Triple Lock is an integral part of Ireland’s longstanding stance of neutrality and avoiding military alliances. It means that Irish troops can only be deployed overseas if there is approval from the Cabinet, the Dáil, and if the mission is UN-mandated," Senator Stephenson has said.

“Currently, without this UN authorisation Ireland cannot participate in peacekeeping missions and prevents entanglement in foreign conflicts. This is not just a technical change in policy which is being proposed – the Triple Lock is a fundamental part of our overall approach to peacekeeping and neutrality. The Triple Lock was devised to ensure our neutrality and are inherently linked.

“The Triple Lock provides that accountability and provides an explicit mandate for sending Irish troops into conflicts. Within this context, the planned Bill to remove the Triple Lock without outlining the alternative mechanism for deploying peacekeeping troops is reckless.

“We must be given answers on what the Government’s planned new mandate for sending troops into conflict will be in the absence of this critical safeguard.”