Ireland must drop 'triple lock' on peacekeeping missions, Simon Harris says as spend on non-lethal military aid to Ukraine could double

The Irish government plans to revise its troop deployment rules by proposing new legislation that would end the requirement for UN Security Council approval for certain missions. Currently, any deployment over 12 troops requires the consent of the Dáil and the Government, whereas the proposed changes would allow the deployment of up to 50 troops without UN mandate. The rationale is to ensure flexibility in response to crises, while maintaining a stance of military neutrality and emphasizing that Irish soldiers would not participate in NATO missions.

The idea of the UN Security Council having a veto on where we deploy Irish troops in relation to peacekeeping is something that needs to be modified. We cannot have a situation where any one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - Russia or anybody else - can veto that decision.

We are removing in all circumstances the idea of the UN Security Council having a mandate. Ireland must have the flexibility to evacuate Irish people from hostile areas and new legislation will provide legal clarity on those issues.

Read at Irish Independent