‘Consensus’ growing on need to change Ireland’s neutrality triple lock, Tánaiste says

There is an “emerging consensus” on the need to change Ireland’s current triple lock policy so that Russia no longer effectively has a veto over the deployment of Irish peacekeeping missions, Tánaiste Micheál Martin has said.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence made the comments on the sidelines of a meeting of EU counterparts in Brussels, as he was asked to respond to a shift in the policy of the Green Party in favour of amending the triple lock policy.

Part of Ireland’s neutrality stance, the triple lock means that a mandate from the United Nations, a Government decision, and a Dáil vote is required to send more than 12 troops overseas.

Mr Martin said that the shift in policy by his coalition partners reflected a wider acknowledgement that the international landscape had changed.

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“I do see an emerging consensus on that, because people can see the reality at the UN. It simply is not acceptable that Russia would have a veto on Ireland’s participation in peacekeeping, and many people are reflecting on that,” Mr Martin said.

People were starting to recognise that the policy grants Russia a say over Irish peacekeeping missions, because its support would be required as it has veto power as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, he said.

“We are conscious that the landscape has changed, both on the UN and globally. We see the rise of mercenary forces, for example, being deployed by some states. All of that leads to a reluctance to facilitate UN missions, it seems to me.”

A consultative forum on Ireland’s foreign, security and defence policy due to be held in June 2023 would be an opportunity to “amplify that and discuss the issue”, he continued.

“I do see potentially policy changes emerging, and we look forward to the debate.”

The EU foreign ministers were meeting to discuss a hunger and instability crisis in the Horn of Africa, how to clamp down on circumvention of EU sanctions on Russia imposed in response to its invasion of Ukraine, and deadlocked enlargement talks with the Western Balkans.

Hovering over the meeting was a push to reform the EU’s decision-making rules, following a call by a group of nine countries including Germany, France, Spain, Italy to reduce the number of decisions that require unanimous support by all 27.

The aim is to allow the EU to react more quickly and to prevent the ability of single countries to wield their veto as a way of exerting political pressure, partly in reaction to repeated blocking behaviour by Hungary, which has threatened to veto further support for Ukraine.

[ Opinion poll analysis: Neutrality a core element of our national identity ]

[ Pat Leahy: Ireland’s neutrality policy is a permanent hold-my-beer posture ]

Mr Martin said that Ireland was “open to reforms” on how to change the way that the EU makes decisions on foreign policy but that there might be other ways of doing it.

“In the context of our common foreign and security policy, we’ll be very open to considering such changes,” Mr Martin said.

“I think there’s many creative ways that can be developed to facilitate better governance, better decision making, and more rapid decision making.”

If the EU adds additional members, reforming its decision-making will be essential to ensure its decision-making continues to function, he continued.

“If we enlarge the EU, which I think we should do... that will entail changes in my view to make governance work more smoothly.”