The alliance of Opposition parties witnessed during the speaking rights row is being replicated in order to defend Irish neutrality, People Before Profit has said.
Dublin South-West TD Paul Murphy said “a robust Opposition” would be repeated in order to prevent the Government’s plans to get rid of the triple lock mechanism.
Under the triple lock system, 12 or more Defence Forces troops cannot be deployed on an active overseas mission without approval from the Dáil, the Government and authorisation from the UN. Draft legislation would remove the requirement for UN Security Council authorisation while it is also proposed to increase the number of troops who are sent on peacekeeping missions from 12 to 50.
Mr Murphy was speaking as the Irish Neutrality League announced a cross party initiative on neutrality in Dublin on Wednesday.
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Speakers also included Sinn Féin TD Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, Social Democrats TD Sinead Gibney, Independent TD Catherine Connolly and Independent senator Alice Mary Higgins.
The Labour Party said its foreign affairs spokesman Duncan Smith could not attend the briefing due to a scheduling conflict but was planning to take part in future events.
The Irish Neutrality League is hosting a public meeting in Cork later on Wednesday while a rally is also to take place in Dublin on May 10th.
Mr Murphy said he had received a positive response from members of the public in relation to the Opposition’s stance on the speaking rights row and they wanted to see “that coming together on other issues as well”.
“Certainly that kind of coalition you saw around the speaking time argument is being replicated here. It is going to be replicated in terms of a robust Opposition to getting rid of neutrality effectively in the Dáil and Seanad but also being reflected in terms of mobilising people on the streets,” he said.
Ms Gibney said there had to be cross party coordination to hold the Government to account on the issue and it was “a coalition that we want to see grow”.
Ms Connolly said Ireland had a tradition of neutrality and there was “an onus on all of us” to question what was happening.
“How are we now getting ready in the Dáil to pass legislation that will get rid of the triple lock…that has been part of our policy of neutrality for a very long time.”
Ms Higgins said it was important there was “no short circuiting of the parliamentary process” in relation to the legislation. She said there should be no use of the guillotine in either the Dáil or Seanad and no waiving of pre legislative scrutiny.
