Govt told to get approval of Irish people for military adventure

Taoiseach Micheal Martin has been urged to call a referendum after he called for Irish ‘boots on the ground’ in Ukraine in a sudden drive to scrap Irish neutrality and play a role in its three-year war with Russia.

The drastic response in Dublin to an appeal for international support for Ukraine has seen the government unilaterally commit to vastly greater military spending and the potential deployment of Irish troops to Kiev as part of an ‘EU peacekeeping force’.

It comes after Martin met Volodymyr Zelensky in Shannon Airport in a hastily arranged meeting as the Ukrainian President stopped off en route to a testy encounter with US President Donald Trump.

In less than two weeks, Martin will also be visiting the White House, where he will present Trump with the traditional bowl of shamrock for St Patricks Day, despite domestic concern and criticism over the visit.

Martin has made it clear that he strongly supports Ukraine’s entry into the European Union, a factor in the war with Russia. He has raised other questions about Ireland’s supposed neutrality by offering financial and other support.

Ireland’s long-standing policy of neutrality is underpinned by a mechanism for approving 26 County Army deployments known as the ‘Triple Lock’, which ensures Irish military activity abroad aligns with Irish laws and values.

To send more than twelve soldiers abroad, approval is needed from the government of the day, the Dáil of the day, and to be in line with a UN mandate. However, the government has sought to remove the need for a UN mandate, falsely insisting that Russia can veto Irish peacekeeping operations there.

Under the bill, the number of soldiers that could be deployed as part of a mission without reference to parliament would also increase from 12 to 50.

Britain’s departure from the EU has removed a major obstacle to a military alliance within the bloc, but the Irish people must have the final say, say Sinn Féin and Aontú.

Speaking in the Dáil, Sinn Féin TD Pearse Doherty called for a referendum on neutrality. He said: “Let us have the debate and let the people decide whether they cherish neutrality or whether they trust Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael with these decisions.”

He said the legislation “opens the door for future governments’ absolute discretion to deploy Irish troops to all kinds of missions, be they international conflicts, legally questionable peacekeeping missions or dangerous misadventures”.

Aontú leader Peadar Tóibin pointed out that the Triple Lock was introduced as an “essential part of the passing of the Nice Treaty in the second referendum (on EU enlargement)”. He added: “As such any change to the Triple Lock should be by way of a referendum.”

He said that the government is using the crisis in Ukraine as an “excuse” to send the 26 County Army on a military mission, and that if Martin wants to change it then he should “go back to the people”. He urged the State to pursue what he termed “positive active neutrality” by diplomatically pushing for peace across the globe - including in Gaza and Ukraine.

Responding, the Taoiseach was adamant that Russia and China could veto where Irish troops are sent at the UN. He claimed Ireland would remain militarily neutral but argued that Ireland was never “politically neutral”.

“This is about exercising our own sovereignty,” the Taoiseach said.

A number of people carrying UN flags took part in a protest outside Government Buildings, calling for the Triple Lock to be maintained.

It was supported by People before Profit, who have expressed vehement opposition to the plans.

“The government’s real agenda isn’t about making Ireland more independent or more secure—it’s about embedding us deeper into the EU’s military ambitions,” they said.

“Scrapping the Triple Lock isn’t about removing a so-called Russian veto; it’s about removing any UN oversight so Ireland can take part in NATO or EU-led operations.”

Urgent Appeal