Mixed opinions on Triple Lock

With much talk about the Triple Lock and claims that Ireland’s neutrality is at stake, reporter Gemma Good looks at what is the triple lock, what’s being proposed, the issues at hand and what stage the legislation is at...

Proposals under the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025 to change the so called Triple Lock have drawn mixed opinions from members of the public and representatives.

A local Cavan Senator told the Celt, based on emails he is receiving, that it’s currently “two to one against changing”.

However, Senator Diarmuid Wilson stressed that the legislation is at “early stages”. Currently at the Heads of Bill stage, he encouraged people to contact their local representatives to voice their views on the subject.

The longest serving representative in the Upper House spoke to the Celt shortly after a Joint Committee on Defence and National Security debate between members and officials from the Department of Defence.

On March 4, the Government approved the drafting of a Bill along the lines of the general scheme of the defence (amendment) Bill.

The Triple Lock is a legislative device that, since 2001, has required a United Nations’ mandate along with a Dáil and Government decision before more than 12 members of the Defence Forces can be deployed overseas.

The new proposals put forward that only government and Dáil approval would be necessary to send Defence Forces abroad, while they also state that this number be increased to fifty without Dáil approval.

Therefore, under the new bill, if the government was happy with the legal basis of what the mission was about, the rules of engagement and the concept of operations, they would have the permission without Dáil approval to send fifty troops to any mission anywhere in the world.

No new peace support operation has been approved by the UN Security Council since 2014.

Speaking in the Dáil last Thursday, Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Simon Haris said the Bill proposes to amend the legislation on how Ireland deploys its troops overseas, both on peace operations as part of an international force and overseas for purposes “other than as part of an international force” giving the example of evacuation of Irish citizens abroad.

Speaking to the Celt, Senator Diarmuid Wilson gave his view on the debate.

“The whole rationale in changing the Triple Lock is the government feel that we should be participating more widely in our own defence and that no longer should we be subject to the sanction of the likes of Russia or China as to what operations we get involved in. “That that should be a decision for the government of the day and as it stands that Dáil,” he furthered.

Personally speaking, Sen Wilson says he would like to see the decision come under the scrutiny of the Seanad, as well as the President.

While the Triple Lock discussion is at the early stages, Sen Wilson predicted that ultimately it “will be done away with”.

“I think the Seanad might get a say in it and another thing that I’d like to see happen is that the President would have to sign off on it. The President is the only person that is actually elected to that office by the people. I think that’s another security measure.

“In relation to the neutrality ends of things, the government maintain that it’s not in breach of our military neutrality and that is going to have to be teased out,” he expressed.

“Quite a few members of the opposition would argue that it is [in breach].”

Also included in the reform would be a “provision to update the court martial legalisation”.

Sen Wilson explained how any member of the Defence Forces is subject to court martial if they are in breach of military regulations.

“So it’s just updating that part of the act in relation, we haven’t been given the specifics because it’s only a heading at the moment.

“Also in relation to suspending a member of the defence forces that has been accused or convicted of a serious criminal offence.”

Where is the threat?

Speaking of “our own defence”, the Celt asks what we are defending ourselves against.

“That’s is the question,” Senator Wilson replies.

“At the moment the reality of the situation is that we need to seriously invest in our Defence Forces, particularly in the whole area of cyber and air and sea. Particularly in those areas.

“The concern of a lot of people is the Triple Lock but the reality, if there are conflicts anywhere in the world, they generally won’t be solved by men and women on the ground shooting at one another.

“It’s gone to a technological war where you’ve rogue state actors and rogue private actors interfering with our security from an IT point of view.”

‘Big concern’

The “big concern” is “the protection of the undersea cables” he stated.

“That’s a major concern not only to this country but to Europe and to America as well. That’s something that we have to work in conjunction with other countries because our Navy isn’t big enough to patrol the huge area that we have.”

To the Senator’s knowledge, there has not been a direct threat made to Ireland, however he shared that they “periodically” get reports of Russian ships anchored “in close proximity to where there are cables”.

“The suspicion is that they are mapping the entire network for future.

“Now I’m no technological expert,” Sen Wilson admits, before explaining how “the vast majority” of information stored in ‘the cloud’ is actually under the sea.

An RTÉ article written by Dr Jason Power, a lecturer at the School of Education at the University of Limerick, last year stated that over 95% of international data traffic flows through undersea data cables, making them far more integral to global connectivity than satellites. “Everything from banking to medical records to confidential information,” Sen Wilson furthered.

While he maintains he doesn’t think there is a sense of panic among those in the Upper House, Sen Wilson does point out that “it’s being taken very seriously”.

While he acknowledges there are various opinions being expressed on the Triple Lock currently, Sen Wilson says “I want to listen to see what everybody has to say but I do believe that we can no longer depend on the rest of the world to defend us.

“We have to put our money where our mouth is. The reality is, only for the British and the French, we’d have no security,” he said, maintaining that “we have to build to get to that [Defence]”.

“In world politics, the United States of America are pulling back and saying, Europe you are on your own,” he said, reasoning that this is why there has been a decision at EU level to increase Defence spending “dramatically” over the next five to 10 years.

Neutrality

Speaking on neutrality, Sen Wilson points out that the country is not politically neutral.

“Militarily, we can still be neutral while investing in our own Defence mechanisms,” he explained.

“You can only be neutral if you’re able to defend yourself, and at the moment in the main we are not in a position to do that.”

He also addressed the idea of a European Army.

“That our soldiers would be sent on missions as part of the European Army. At the moment there’s no talk of a European Army, it doesn’t exist. Who knows what’s into the future.”

On the topic of an EU Army, Ms Bernie Maguire, assistant secretary in the Department of Defence, had the following to say: “There is no EU army. An EU army does not exist. There are no plans in that regard. Should the EU decide to create an army, it would have to amend its treaties, which would require a referendum in Ireland.”

Hands tied

“I think a government has to be able to take a decision in relation to how best to defend itself without having their hands tied by the United Nations Security Council,” Senator Wilson opines.

“I’m waiting for the full hearing to take place,” he added.

Are these the first steps towards giving up our neutrality?

“I think it’s too early to say being honest,” Sen Wilson replies.

“I have a son in the army, so I’d like to think that, if he was being sent somewhere, that the people making the decision would be thinking long and hard about it. But as we speak there’s no European Army and there are no plans to have a European Army,” he stressed.

In his daily work, Sen Wilson has received “quite a few emails” with concerns from people, “and that’s why I’ll be taking it very seriously” he added.

“As will every other member of the committee,” he said.

Call for referendum

Speaking on the topic, Michael ‘Bricker’ Wall, who is the Sinn Féin Cavan Town Local Representative, said a referendum should take place regarding any reforms on the Triple Lock.

“I don’t think the government should be able to change the Triple Lock without the knowledge of the people. I think it’s being done very sneakily under the radar abolishing the Triple Lock because we are a neutral country.”

Bricker, as he is most commonly known, served in Lebanon with the Defence Forces from 1994 to 1999.

He also ran in the local election last year.

“If we do lose the Triple Lock then we may forget about neutrality,” he stated, an opinion he said was also expressed by some fellow ex Defence Force comrades.

“It should be put to a referendum - what the people of Ireland want - not the Government to decide this.

“Being a former peacekeeper and talking to some of the lads who have done numerous trips overseas, they’re disgusted by it.

“Who are they [the government] to make changes for the people when it should be gone to a Referendum?!”

He also said the Irish Defence Force is “depleted” and criticised the current government for “not enticing” people to join the army.

Meanwhile Senator Robbie Gallagher described the triple lock as “dysfunctional”.

“It is fair to say that the current system clearly is not working,” he outlined at a meeting of pre-legislative scrutiny of the defence (amendment) Bill 2025 took place on May 29, where officials from the Department of Defence briefed the senate on the bill.

It’s expected that the pre-legislative scrutiny will be complete by the Autumn, after which the bill will be published.

“Then, you’ll see the intricacies of it,” said Sen Wilson.