Gerard P. Craughwell: Triple Lock is Collapsing Peacekeeping
Gerard P. Craughwell warns that the triple lock system forced the withdrawal of Irish troops from Operation Irene, affecting Ireland's peacekeeping missions from 24 May. He calls for urgent legislation to end what he describes as an infantile process that prevents Defence Forces personnel serving overseas.
What happened
Gerard P. Craughwell says Operation Irene has been effectively curtailed because Irish service personnel were withdrawn with effect from 24 May. He frames the withdrawal as the start of a wider collapse of Ireland's peacekeeping capacity if the current triple lock remains in place.
Who is affected
Craughwell highlights the human and strategic impact on members of the Defence Forces, and questions how an Irish general, chairman of the European military, can be prevented from seeing his countrymen serve abroad. The speech stresses the reputational and operational damage to Irish commitments overseas.
Legal constraint and accountability
Craughwell disputes claims that the small number of personnel meant withdrawal was avoidable, pointing instead to the legal obligations imposed by the triple lock. He urges colleagues to 'check the law' and acknowledges the triple lock as the binding factor in the decision to withdraw.
Demand for action
Concluding his remarks, Craughwell calls for the triple lock legislation to be brought before the Dáil before the parliamentary break and demands an end to what he calls nonsensical restrictions on Ireland's sovereign decisions about deploying troops.
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To my colleagues who have spent their time in both houses crying about the triple lock and Ireland's neutrality and all of that nonsense, yesterday was the start of the collapse of Ireland's peacekeeping and missions overseas. Operation Irene has ceased and, sorry, it hasn't ceased, it's still continuing, but Irish service people cannot serve anymore. They were withdrawn with the effect of the 24th of May. And watch over the coming months as we withdraw more and more of our Defence Forces people back home because of an infantile process known as the triple lock. Who in this house would go to their next door neighbour and ask, can I leave my husband or my wife out for a drink tonight? Who would ask, can we leave the children out of some stranger? Yet we're quite happy to allow the English King, the President of the United States, the President of France and the President of Russia decide where we will send our troops. Isn't it time as a sovereign nation we grew up? Can you imagine the position of Sean Clancy, the current chairman of the European military? An Irish general who cannot allow or cannot see his own countrymen serve overseas. This nonsense has to stop. It really does. People are saying to me today, there was less than 12 people so they didn't have to withdraw them. Check the law, they had no choice, they had to withdraw them. I'd like to see the legislation on the triple lock come in here before the break and let's put an end to this nonsense.
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