Since the United Nations was founded, Ireland has stood steadfast for peace, multilateralism and acting only through a United Nations mandate. These have been core pillars of our international policy. This was something the Taoiseach used to recognise. He said attempts to dismantle the triple lock were "an out-of-touch ideological obsession on the part of Fine Gael which ignores the facts of Ireland’s international standing". Fianna Fáil has now been in government with Fine Gael for so long that their ideological obsessions have merged. Back then, the Taoiseach was clear the triple lock was at the core of our neutrality. He lambasted Fine Gael for its attempts to undermine it. Today a succession of Fianna Fáil Ministers are joining the Fine Gael chorus stating that the triple lock has nothing to do with our neutrality. It seems they have all drunk the Fine Gael Kool-Aid and are now singing off the same hymn sheet. There have always been aggressors on the world stage, always those who seek to carve up the world and its resources. Ireland has always stood strong against these malign forces. In today's world, Putin and Trump are leading the charge to rip up multilateralism and we should never, ever follow them down that path. The response should be to stand strong in defence of peace and the United Nations. Instead, the Taoiseach is seeking to ditch Ireland's commitment to a multilateral approach.
Sentiment score: 0.18
The Government is ripping up a multilateral approach. It absolutely is.
Sentiment score: 0.00
It absolutely is. We have a multilateral approach and ripping up the triple lock would bring us into a unilateral approach. That is absolutely the case.
Sentiment score: 0.00
The UN mandate gives a legitimacy to peacekeeping missions which would be impossible to replace. The blue beret our troops have worn with pride offers them a huge level of protection, and instead of acknowledging that, the Government is undermining this. In the election, Fianna Fáil promised reform of the triple lock, not to tear it to shreds. Yet another election promise is in tatters. On Friday, as parents of children with additional needs without a school place slept out on the streets, the Tánaiste advocated spending billions on buying fighter jets. Meanwhile, there are only enough navy personnel to crew one ship to patrol our extensive coastline. What other multilateral body can confer the same legitimacy as UN-mandated missions, and where does the Taoiseach want to send Irish troops that they cannot already go to?
Sentiment score: 0.20
This is what the Taoiseach told the Dáil when he was in opposition: Earlier this year, the Minister for Defence signalled that he would try to water down Ireland's commitment to the triple lock, which is at the core of our neutrality. He presented the idea it was contradictory and that we were giving unsavoury countries a veto over our actions. This argument has been behind the efforts of a wing of Fine Gael to erode neutrality over the years. This is what the Taoiseach said. I could not put it better myself. He went on to say: My party and I completely reject this. The United Nations is not working as it should [be] but we must not abandon it as an essential part of the international system.
Sentiment score: 0.07
Why has the Taoiseach capitulated to Fine Gael on this?
Sentiment score: 0.20