Commenting on the Cabinet approval for the Defence Amendment Bill, Irish Congress of Trade Unions General Secretary Owen Reidy said:
"Ireland's strong record of service on UN peacekeeping missions is something of which the Irish public are rightly proud. The country’s commitment to multilateralism and the international rule of law is a core tenet of our foreign policy.
"The Government's decision to move ahead with the Defence Amendment Bill, which would remove the triple lock, is therefore short-sighted, and would abandon these principles which have served Ireland well over the course of decades.
"The triple lock is an important backstop against the Government of the day deploying Defence Force personnel in instances that may not be supported by international law. While we accept that the current Government has no such intention, it should be aware of potential unforeseen consequences in future.
"While acknowledging the need for reform in the security council, removing the UN from this process weakens the guarantee that deployments carry formal legal sanction. At a moment when such institutions and processes are under attack, we should be proud to maintain our commitment to them.
"The Government's blunt approach to abolition of the triple lock also does a disservice to a much-needed debate on Ireland's approach to its defence in the current geopolitical climate. The trade union movement urges them to reconsider this approach, and engage substantively with the Irish public on these matters."
ENDS
