I stand in this Chamber today as the only person in the Thirty-fourth Dáil who has served in Óglaigh na hÉireann and the only current Deputy who has signed the oath of allegiance, the same oath of allegiance that all members of the Defence Forces sign. When we sign, we say we will only obey lawful orders. Lawful orders are orders that are fully and wholly in alignment and accordance with international law. I have also served as a UN peacekeeper in southern Lebanon, protecting the citizens of southern Lebanon, the very same citizens who will still need protection once the UNIFIL operation ceases at the end of this year and Ireland's involvement with peacekeeping in the region ends due to the lack of a UN mandate. There has not been a single UN mandate sanctioned by the UN Security Council since 2014. The system is broken. Before I go any further, it is important to be clear about something fundamental. Neutrality and the triple lock are not the same thing. Sinn Féin seems to constantly roll words like "triple lock", "neutrality" and "protection" off its tongue as if they are the same thing. This is false and misleading. The triple lock does not guarantee our neutrality. We are neutral as a country because we choose to be neutral. There is no desire, discussion or intention of changing our neutrality and any assertion to the contrary from the Opposition benches is unfounded. Neutrality is a long-standing policy of independence about how Ireland chooses to conduct itself in the world. The triple lock describes the three-step process we use to come to a decision as to where we deploy our peacekeeping troops, but the real truth lies in the fact that the decision as to which UN missions are suitable for our troops is decided in the first part of the triple lock. It is decided in line with our policy of neutrality and the commitment to obeying international laws. When deployments are being considered, the first step for the Government is to seek the advice of senior and experienced members of the Defence Forces, the men and women I mentioned at the beginning of my contribution, who are beholden to obeying international law, alongside the Departments of Defence and Foreign Affairs and Trade. It is at this stage that a peacekeeping mission's suitability is established. Missions will not be approved unless they are in line with Ireland's values, including our policy of neutrality. There has never been an incident where a Government has gone against military advice about the suitability of a mission for Irish personnel. This is our autonomy and sovereign decision of the State. Ireland was neutral long before the triple lock. We will be neutral after the triple lock is amended.

Sentiment score: 0.09