On the 21st of October, the Defense (Amendment) Bill passed its second stage in the Dáil by 79 votes to 71. If enacted, the requirement for UN approval before more than 12 troops can be deployed – known as the Triple Lock – will disappear. This comes despite polling showing 44 percent favour keeping the Triple Lock while only 34 percent want it removed.
The government try to justify their unpopular move as a question of protecting so-called “peacekeeping” from Security Council vetoes. So we are told, only by removing the shackles of the Triple Lock can Ireland continue its role as a “neutral” nation that contributes to defending international law, world peace, and so on.
In reality however, this has nothing to do with “peacekeeping” or “neutrality” and everything to do with facilitating militarisation. In fact, when voters rejected the Lisbon treaty in 2008 on the grounds that it opened the door to military integration with Europe, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael both pointed to the Triple Lock as the guarantee against this.
Have the government parties changed their minds since then? Far from it! Only in 2008 they needed to use the cover of the Triple Lock to force through the demands of the EU, now they have to get rid of it to do the same.
We cannot rely on the legal mechanisms of the ruling class to fight them. Instead we should take a page from the book of protesters in countries like Germany – mass demonstrations linking military spending to the cost of living crisis and linking the struggle of the workers and the youth are the way forward.
