Michael Collins: Defends Irish Neutrality, Demands Triple Lock Vote
Michael Collins of Independent Ireland speaks in Dail Eireann to defend Irish neutrality and warns against government moves to alter the Triple Lock. He calls for a referendum if the government intends to remove the protections that have governed Ireland's overseas military commitments.
Michael Collins outlines why neutrality matters to the Irish people, framing it as independence and a check against being drawn into foreign conflicts. He rejects arguments that neutrality is outdated and stresses Ireland's history of UN peacekeeping under the blue helmet.
Collins accuses the current government of quietly attempting to roll back the Triple Lock, the safeguard requiring United Nations, government and parliamentary approvals before sending troops overseas. He argues that the Triple Lock is a democratic protection that prevents executive overreach.
While calling for proper investment in the Defence Forces-ships for the Naval Service, protection for airspace, and fair pay for soldiers-Collins draws a clear line between strengthening national capability and closer integration with European military structures.
He asks the government to put any removal of the Triple Lock to a referendum, insisting that such a fundamental change to neutrality deserves the direct consent of the Irish people. Collins closes by urging protection of the Triple Lock and trusting citizens to decide Ireland's future.
Summary of the address
Michael Collins outlines why neutrality matters to the Irish people, framing it as independence and a check against being drawn into foreign conflicts. He rejects arguments that neutrality is outdated and stresses Ireland's history of UN peacekeeping under the blue helmet.
Triple Lock under threat
Collins accuses the current government of quietly attempting to roll back the Triple Lock, the safeguard requiring United Nations, government and parliamentary approvals before sending troops overseas. He argues that the Triple Lock is a democratic protection that prevents executive overreach.
Defence investment versus military integration
While calling for proper investment in the Defence Forces-ships for the Naval Service, protection for airspace, and fair pay for soldiers-Collins draws a clear line between strengthening national capability and closer integration with European military structures.
Demand for democratic consent
He asks the government to put any removal of the Triple Lock to a referendum, insisting that such a fundamental change to neutrality deserves the direct consent of the Irish people. Collins closes by urging protection of the Triple Lock and trusting citizens to decide Ireland's future.
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Transcript
At the outside I want to say we in Independent Ireland support Deputy Stanley's motion here this morning. There are some in politics today trying to paint neutrality as old-fashioned, outdated, or somehow weak. The people of Ireland do not see it that way at all. The people understand neutrality because neutrality is about independence. It's about Ireland making her own decisions, not taking orders from Brussels, not taking orders from NATO, and not being dragged into conflicts that are not ours. And for the generations known, neutrality has served this country well. We are a small nation, but we earn the respect across the world because Irish soldiers went abroad as peacekeepers, not as occupiers. Irish troops wore their blue helmet of the United Nations with honour. Families across Ireland are proud of that service. Now this government wants to tamper with the Triple Lock. They can address it up whatever way they like, but ordinary people see through it. The Triple Lock is there to stop governments of the day sending Irish troops overseas without proper checks and balances. It requires the approval of the United Nations, the government, and this dog. This is not some inconvenience, this is democracy. And let us not rewrite history here either. When the people rejected the Nice Treaty and later the Lisbon Treaty, neutrality was one of the biggest concerns raised. The government of the day came back to the people with solemn guarantees that neutrality and the Triple Lock would be respected. Now years later, this government wants to quietly roll back on those commitments, again without ever asking the people that it is wrong. If they truly believe the Irish people want to abandon neutrality, then have the courage to put the removal of the Triple Lock to a referendum in this country. Let the Irish people decide our future, not the rest of the world. Independent Ireland believes very strongly that we can support and strengthen our defence forces while remaining proudly neutral. Those two things are not contradictions. Our naval service needs ships, our airspace needs protection, our soldiers deserve proper pay and conditions, and our defence forces need investment after years of neglect. But strengthening our defence forces' capability is a very different thing entirely from dragging Ireland closer and closer into European military structures. People in Ireland understand this clearly. They do not want Irish neutrality chipped away bit by bit while politicians in Dublin pretend nothing is changing. Neutrality is not a weakness. Neutrality kept Ireland independent. Neutrality allowed Ireland to speak with credibility on the world stage. Neutrality allowed us to act as peacekeepers and humanitarians. Once you surrender this independence, you do not easily get it back. Independent Ireland stands firmly with the Irish people on this issue. Protect the Triple Lock, protect neutrality, and above all else, trust the people enough to let them have their own say.