Paul Murphy accuses Greens of blocking neutrality referendum
Paul Murphy criticised the Green Party for voting with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to block a referendum to enshrine neutrality and challenged the Tánaiste and future Taoiseach over calls to drop the triple lock in favour of European defence cooperation. He insisted the programme for government requires a triple lock and UN approval for overseas operations and defended active military neutrality.
Vote on neutrality referendum
Murphy said the Green Party held the casting votes and sided with Fianna Fáil and Fianna Gael to block the proposed referendum, contradicting positions the party had supported in 2003, 2016 and 2018.
Claims about leadership remarks
He reported that the Tánaiste and future Taoiseach had told the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party that Ireland should drop the so-called triple lock and participate in European defence cooperation - describing that shift as European militarisation.
Questions for the minister
Murphy directly challenged the minister, asking where they would draw the line and whether the minister would oppose dropping the triple lock or go along with the process of militarisation.
Programme for government and UN approval
He cited the programme for government language that Ireland will not participate in projects incompatible with active military neutrality and non-membership of military alliances and argued that overseas operations should be subject to a triple lock and UN approval.
Defence of multilateral system
Murphy argued that UN approval is central because the conflict at issue concerns the rights of nation-states within the United Nations system, and he said he was proud the Green Party had embedded these commitments in the programme for government and would stand by them.
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Last night, the Green Party held the casting votes on whether to hold a referendum to enshrine neutrality in the Irish Constitution. Shamefully, you voted with Fianna Fáil and Fianna Gael to block it. In doing so, you voted against the long-standing position of the Green Party and the position you previously voted for in 2003, 2016 and 2018. Then later that evening it emerged that the Tanaiste and future Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, had told the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party that Ireland should drop the so-called triple lock and participate in European defence cooperation, i.e. European militarisation. That is contrary not just to the Green Party policy, which you don't seem to care about at all, but even to what's in the programme for government. The question, Minister, is where are you going to draw the line? Will you be opposing the dropping of the triple lock mechanism or will you be going along with this process of militarisation? The programmes for governments are important. They give you good guidance and give you... Guidance? Yeah. And the guidance in this case is very clear. The programme for governments says, We will not participate in projects that are incompatible with our policy of active military neutrality and non-membership of military alliances. We will ensure that all overseas operations will be subject to a triple lock of UN government and all airing approval. I stand by that and that's what this government will follow. And it's important for this reason, this time more than ever. However, I believe that UN approval, acquiring that, is central because this war is more than anything else about the rights of nation-states within the United Nations to that rule system that we all adhere to. And insisting on that as part of the triple lock, as well as the government and this doll, is standing up for this most important principle. The United Nations multilateral peace-based system. That's what the programme for government says. I'm proud that the Green Party, with our two colleagues in government, stitched that in there and we stand by it today and tomorrow.
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