People Before Profit back the call to mobilise for Irish Neutrality as Minister for Defence Helen McEntee and Fianna Fáil-Fine Gael government announced that they would go back on their promises around Irish Neutrality this week.The Irish Neutrality League has condemned government attempts to abolish the Triple Lock by introducing the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2026 to the Dail shortly
In a statement, Sara O’Rourke, from the INL said,
“The government can expect to face massive public opposition in its latest attempt to end Irish neutrality. No less a figure than Michael Martin described the Triple Lock as being ‘at the core of Irish Neutrality’.”
Survey after survey shows a sizeable majority of voters back Irish neutrality. The Nice Referendum was voted down because it threatened Irish neutrality. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael and other elements in society would like to see the Irish military used more frequently. The Triple Lock means that cabinet, Government, the UN must all declare agree or the agreement will prevent more than 12 Irish soldiers from being deployed.
And it works. Though Ireland did send troops to Afghanistan at the behest of the United States to assist in their occupation, it could not risk more than 12 at any time.
The Triple Lock represents a major obstacle to this government playing a more active role in the Western imperial alliance which has occasionally ignored, but consistently supported the genocidal actions of Israel in Gaza and the violent illegal seizures and growing occupations of land in the West Bank.
This isn’t the part they want to focus on, but more closely aligning themselves with not just the economic strategies and systems of domination allows them more privilege in the EU as we take on the EU Presidency from 1 July.
It also bolsters in their alignment with corporate powers and wider project of Western dominance. Placing themselves closer to these powers is clearly why they wish to abolish the Triple Lock.
No doubt, the government will parrot claims that it is necessary to give military protection to the EU.
But the EU was not originally envisaged as a military alliance and the Irish people were assured that their country could remain neutral and still be part of the EU. Now the EU’s leaders like Donald Tusk proclaim we are in a ‘pre-war era.’ Dutch politician, Mark Rutte, General Secretary of NATO says Europe must ‘be faster and fiercer’ and spend more on war and ‘switch to a wartime mindset’.*
The fighting in Ukraine has only gotten bloodier with bigger more technological weapons used to create higher body counts on both sides, while turning unwilling soldiers and civilians into drone and rocket targets with no end in sight. The US’s coup on Venezuela has happened since then. Now they have sent ships are off the coast of Cuba. US/Israel are illegally attacking Iran. While Israel is using the opportunity to seize more land for the Zionist project in Gaza, the West Bank and even Lebanon where Irish troops have been put under attack. We cannot allow Ireland to become part of this madness.
People are right to say no to these horrific dangerous wars. But we'll have to demand Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil - and their lackeys in the Lowry group- to stop trying to short-circuit our democratic demand for Neutrality- it is our best real defence from the gravity of the West's wars.
In 2001, the Nice treaty was rejected and was only passed in a second referendum after the mechanism of the Triple Lock was agreed for Ireland in the Seville declaration.
The government also claims that it is unlikely that the UN Security Council will endorse further missions because of the geopolitical divisions.
The government continuously fails to mention that UN approval for such missions can be secured from the General Assembly.
The government should explicitly state where it will send Irish soldiers in the event that the Triple Lock is abolished. It has singularly failed to do this.
We agree with the Irish Neutrality League’s observation: ‘If the government really respected the democratic mandate given to Catherine Connolly in the recent Presidential election and the vote of the Irish people in the second Nice, it would put the whole issue to a new referendum.’
*Further information, research, and arguments: NO TO WAR! Defend Irish Neutrality