Government wants send Irish troops to Lebanon “enforcement” mission alongside Israel

Paul Murphy TD says EU military mission exposes real purpose of ending Triple Lock

Israel is currently bombarding Lebanon, killing at least 4,386 people and injuring 12,407 others since March 2nd while displacing more than one million people. They claim this is due to the presence of paramilitary group Hezbollah.

If the Triple Lock is ended, which it is likely to be by Christmas, the Government has said that it plans to send Irish soldiers as part of the EU military mission in the region which it claims will strengthen the Lebanese Army against Hezbollah.

Explained: Could Irish troops fight alongside Israel if Triple Lock is ended?

This EU mission does not have a UN mandate, which would be required under the Triple Lock mechanism.

Sinn Féin's Pearse Doherty said the government does not have a mandate.

"They're dismantling the neutrality safeguards that exist," he said.

Mr Doherty said that at the same time Minister for Defence Helen McEntee "and her Cabinet colleagues are arguing for the deployment of Irish troops to European missions that simply could involve us in a civil war in the likes of Lebanon".

People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy said the government is misleading the public.

“If they get away with ending the Triple Lock, sending soldiers to Lebanon on the same side as Israel against Hezbollah will just be the start," he said.

“The Government is trying to redefine neutrality to just mean not joining NATO, while at the same time it is preparing to send Irish soldiers to Lebanon as part of an EU military mission. So it's very clear that ending the Triple Lock, is a preparatory move towards a military alliance.

“It’s also clear that the Government is not being honest because its own legislation to end the Triple Lock states that it will enable ‘peace enforcement’. But the Government knows that the UN Charter, which the Government claims it will comply with, makes it clear that enforcement without UN endorsement is illegal under international law.

The Government must put it to the people in a referendum”.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has insisted Ireland has "no intention of joining NATO", the military alliance.