Triple lock leaves Ireland too exposed
Sir, – Prof Ray Murphy makes an interesting legal case for using the UN General Assembly to overcome Security Council paralysis (“Don’t ditch the triple lock. There is a better way to circumvent the Security Council veto”, Opinion, April 1st). However, his article misses the central issue: sovereignty.The question is not whether Ireland can find an alternative UN route around the veto of permanent Security Council members. The question is why any sovereign state should require the approval of an external body before deploying its own defence forces in the first place.No other sovereign democracy places such a restriction on the deployment of its forces. Decisions of this nature should rest on clear legal criteria consistent with the UN Charter and on robust democratic accountability at home through Government and Dáil approval. It should not come down to the political calculations of foreign states.The triple lock, in its present form, amounts to an abdication of the State’s primary responsibility, which is the defence of the nation and its people.READ MORE‘Like a new window was opened’: New Catholics on converting to the church this EasterIrish-language Bluey actor had never heard of hit show before its turn as Gaeilge In 1980s Dublin, the communists had the best Good Friday shindigsSpending a penny has become very expensive indeed: Drivetime investigates €6m loosThis debate also exposes a wider contradiction in Irish public life. We speak constantly of sovereignty and neutrality, yet we continue to underinvest in the basic means of defending our own interests. We cannot adequately police our airspace, monitor our seas, protect critical infrastructure, or counter modern intelligence and cyber threats. Meanwhile, we benefit from the wider security architecture of these islands while contributing comparatively little.Neutrality cannot mean dependency and sovereignty cannot mean outsourcing core decisions on national security.If Ireland is serious about both, it must be willing to take responsibility for its own defence and for its own decisions. - Yours, etc,ADRIAN CONNOR,Firhouse,Dublin.
