Neutrality and Triple Lock: Motion [Private Members]
Dail Éireann — 2026-09-16
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Charles Ward (RDR), Donegal

I thank Deputy Ó Laoghaire and his colleagues in Sinn Féin for bringing forward this motion. I have said before and I will say again that it has never been more important to maintain our neutrality than it is right now. From Gaza to Ukraine, and from Sudan to the escalating tensions in Iran and the wider Middle East, we are facing an era of overlapping conflict, instability and displacement. Humanitarian crisis has now become the norm. The disabling effects of these conflicts are contributing greatly to global and regional instability, and we are now seeing it in Ireland. Ireland's independent, trusted, neutral voice is now vital. We have a unique opportunity to facilitate and advocate for peace in the unpredictable international environment we are currently going through. We can be the peacekeepers. We can have a voice, but if we continue on the path that the Government is taking, we will not. Abandoning neutrality only serves to facilitate wars. It does nothing to support victims of conflict.
According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, approximately 130 armed conflicts are raging today, which is twice as many as 15 years ago. Wars are lasting longer and growing more complex. Drones and bullets have one thing in common: they do not discriminate; they kill. Millions of people have had their lives shattered by conflict. Instead of supporting all efforts towards peace and resolution for these people, this Government and successive Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Governments have instead chosen to erode Irish neutrality bit by bit and to cheapen it over the years. I am disgusted by this Government's determination to remove the triple lock by the end of the year as part of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2026. It is shameful to do this without consulting the people of Ireland, who are very proud supporters of the triple lock and who feel profoundly betrayed that their voice is not being heard. It is also a departure from the values of the Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil and the commitments they made just six years ago. The party's 2020 manifesto stated, "Fianna Fáil reaffirms its commitment to the retention of the triple lock." Well, how quickly that changed. It did not take long for Fianna Fáil to completely abandon its commitments after a few years in government, although I can hardly be surprised at the shape and the way things are going.
The Irish people do not want to get rid of the triple lock. They have long valued and supported the policy of neutrality. This is an issue of national importance. I urge the Minister to ensure the public has a say. I urge her to stand firm on Ireland's neutrality, a position which has been shaped by our anticolonial history and is a source of real pride. The people have the right to have their voice heard. Let the people have their vote, because the Minister knows what the result will be.

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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