Tipperary councillors clash over Government plan to scrap Triple Lock – ‘I don’t want my children involved in a war’
The subject of Ireland’s Triple Lock prompted a heated debate at the December meeting of Tipperary County Council.
Three councillors from across the county tabled motions at the monthly plenary meeting to express disappointment in the Government for proposing the abolition of the Triple Lock.
Independent Thurles councillor Jim Ryan, as well as Sinn Féin councillors David Dunne from Carrick-on-Suir, and Annemarie Ryan from Tipperary town asked that the local authority write to the Government to express their dismay and opposition at plans to abolish the Triple Lock.
The Triple Lock is how Ireland decides to send Defence Forces personnel overseas to serve as part of peace keeping or peace enforcement operations. It involves United Nations (UN) approval, a decision by Government and a vote in the Dáil.
Speaking at the meeting, councillor Jim Ryan said it was a “huge” issue, and that it’s important to keep Ireland’s neutrality.
"The more you talk to the general public out there, the more concerned they are, we need to remain neutral, and the only way you’re going to achieve that is by having the Triple Lock.
"Any moves by this Government, or any future Government to try and dismantle the Triple Lock in whatever way they can would go against our neutrality, and put this country in a really dangerous situation.
"There’s 10 wars currently going on across the world, and any politician who goes against this petition here today, I don’t know how they could sleep at night, however small the risk may be, it’s still a risk that Ireland may be sometime in the future be involved in a war, and I don’t want my children or grandchildren to be involved in a war,” Cllr Ryan said.
Cllr Dunne said that Ireland has a respect for being neutral, and he would like to see this remain.
"I think Ireland has a respect worldwide for neutrality and our voices are strong when it comes to peace and we should keep that, and we should keep the Triple Lock because that was promised to us.”
Calling for a referendum to decide the future of the Triple Lock, Cllr Dunne said that the people of Ireland should be allowed to decide.
"If there is any change, it should go to the people,” he said.
Party colleague Annemarie Ryan said that the majority of the people in Ireland support the country’s neutrality.
"Neutrality to me and to many other people is a policy that has the support of the overwhelming majority of the Irish people. In a recent survey it was over 70pc of Irish people would like Ireland to remain a neutral country and to retain the Triple Lock,” she said.
“We are a small nation but we do punch above our weight in peacekeeping, and international justice, and I would say please allow the debate around the Triple Lock to go to a referendum,” she added.
However, opposing the three councillors motions, Fianna Fáil councillor Roger Kennedy said that he agrees with neutrality, but that the abolition of the Triple Lock won’t mean Ireland won’t be a neutral country anymore.
"The removal of the Triple Lock will not affect neutrality in any way, it would not change the status of this country,” he said.
"Do you want to stand here and prevent Irish troops from going out to save the people of Gaza, if that’s what is needed?”
The Triple Lock is great if it works, Cllr Kennedy said, but said that the major UN powers have the ability to veto Irish troops being deployed if they don’t want them there.
"The Triple Lock is great if it works on the United Nations assembly, but it doesn’t work on the United Nations assembly, it works in the major powers, they have the veto on the Triple Lock.
"I’m probably the only person here who had a son out in Kosovo on a number of occasions on peacekeeping duties, he was out in Chad a number of times, peacekeeping, he’s out of the army at the minute, but it’s wrong to prevent the Irish peacekeepers from going out,” Cllr Kennedy said.
The Fianna Fáil councillor was interrupted from across the chamber on numerous occasions, with councillors hitting out at his claims that people don’t want to send Irish troops to Gaza or Ukraine on peacekeeping missions.
Proposing a countermotion, Fine Gael councillor Declan Burgess said that the council should ask the Government to provide more scrutiny on the issue before taking a decision.
"Can I propose an amendment to the motion, can we call on the Government to provide extensive and additional pre-legislative scrutiny and public engagement on the topic of the Triple Lock legislation?” Cllr Burgess asked.
Following more back and forth between councillors in the chamber, Tipperary County Council Cathaoirleach John Carroll called for a vote on Cllr Burgess’ amended motion.
The Fine Gael councillor’s motion was passed by 18 votes for, with 14 against and eight absent.