Neutrality and Triple Lock: Motion [Private Members]
Dail Éireann — 2026-09-16
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Mairéad Farrell (SF), Galway West

What the Minister and her Government colleagues Micheál Martin and Simon Harris are doing to Irish neutrality is eroding it bit by bit. They might not say it explicitly but we can hear it in their words. They use language to change our position regarding neutrality. We can see it in the amendment they tabled tonight. Previously, Government talked about "neutrality"; now it always talks about "military neutrality". It is a small change, but a change. Previously, Micheál Martin said the triple lock was core to Irish neutrality; now, the Government says in this amendment that the triple lock is not a determination or an expression of our neutrality. Both cannot be true, so who is lying? I would like the Minister to address that in her closing remarks. She can couch in words her attempts to dismantle our neutrality but Irish people know what neutrality means to them locally and on an international stage.
Irish neutrality and having an independent foreign policy are strengths. They are valued and supported by the Irish people. On the international stage, neutrality has underpinned our contribution to peacekeeping and diplomacy. It has never been a weakness. Attempts to dismantle the triple lock have been talked about by this Government and those who made up the previous Government, but now there is a rush to push it through. Why is that? You would be forgiven for thinking, as most people probably do, that it is a bit of a coincidence that there is now this just as we are starting back and we are also in the middle of our EU Presidency.
It seems far more than a coincidence. We have to be frank about it. The Government has acted like it is embarrassed by our neutrality, but our neutrality is nothing to be embarrassed about. It is outrageous that this Government is doing all in its power to undermine and erode it. To be clear, I firmly believe that is what the Government is doing. I am not here giving a speech to attack the Government. I am here to say to the Government, "Do not break a promise that you gave to the Irish people in several referendums. Do not go back and dismantle the triple lock." Micheál Martin was right when he said it was core to our neutrality. If the Government is so confident that the triple lock must go, then put it to the people.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-09-16/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-28T05:50:48+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-09-16