Neutrality and Triple Lock: Motion [Private Members]
Dail Éireann — 2026-09-16
============================================================

Maeve O'Connell (FG), Dublin Rathdown

I want to state clearly that reforming the triple lock is the right thing for Ireland, Irish neutrality, the men and women of the Defence Forces, our peacekeepers and Irish security and sovereignty. The determination to secure Irish sovereignty is how we are all here today and how we are elected to this Chamber and represent an independent country. I am disappointed by how disingenuously the Opposition persistently frames this discussion.
The Minister clearly articulated the proposed legislation from the Government. Its purpose is to remove the ability of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council from preventing the Government and Dáil from deciding where and when to send our peacekeepers. This is about giving this and future Dáileanna a greater say. It is about taking back and increasing our sovereignty. Why is the Opposition persisting in opposing greater Irish sovereignty? That is a question that it does not address.
Why is the Labour Party, which protested the visit of the President of the United States to our shores last weekend, equally determined to continue to allow the US to determine where we can send our peacekeepers? Why is Sinn Féin, which yesterday signed an agreement calling for greater independence from the UK, equally calling for our persistent dependence on the UK to determine where and when we can send our peacekeepers? Deputy Tóibín, who was in the Chamber earlier, quoted polls showing that a majority in the State believes the people who live on the island of Ireland should make decisions on what happens on the island of Ireland. Why does that decision-making not include decisions on where and when we send our peacekeepers?
I know the job of the Opposition is to oppose Government, but it could not even manage a few days, a day or even a few hours without contradicting itself. I commend the Minister on her consistency, intelligence and good sense in proposing the removal of this impediment to our independence and sovereignty.

---

Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted.

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