A columnist has described the Triple Lock as an “absolute joke” and urged Irish people not to “delude ourselves” that the State is safe from attack.  

Earlier this week, Tánaiste Simon Harris briefed the Cabinet on legislation to reform the Triple Lock - which bans the deployment of Irish troops overseas without a mandate from the UN Security Council. 

As Russia has a veto on the Security Council, there are concerns it could stop Irish troops being sent to Ukraine to carry out peacekeeping duties. 

On Newstalk Breakfast, Irish Examiner columnist Fergus Finlay said he had believed in Irish neutrality “all my life” but feels the world has changed dramatically since Trump returned to the White House. 

“I think we find ourselves in a world where the leader of the free world has decided, effectively, to ally themself with the dictator of Russia,” he said. 

“I don’t know why that has happened, I don’t know what the motivation is but I think it’s very obvious that we no longer have a trustworthy ally in the United States."

Irish Defence Forces arm patch of a soldier in the Irish Army. Picture by: Andy Gibson / Alamy. 19 October 2016

Mr Finlay described this as a “tragedy for the whole world” and said it means Ireland must face up to a new world order where America no longer cares about what happens in Europe. 

“In the first instance, Ukraine has to be defended,” he said. 

“Peace cannot be forged in Ukraine, in my opinion, by forcing Zelenskyy to bend his knee and surrender. 

“So, the rest of the world has to step up and that has to include us now.” 

Funding boost

Last month, Fine Gael called for defence spending to be doubled from its current level of €1.5 billion a year to €3 billion. 

Fianna Fáil declined to endorse the spending proposal but Mr Finlay said the State must “hugely increase our capacities”. 

“I’m no military expert but I think we’re surrounded by risks and threats on our seas, in the air, the whole world of cyber activity,” he said.  

“I think we just have to hugely increase our capacity in the first place to defend ourselves. 

“There’s endless amounts of speculation, for example, about what Russia will beg to do with undersea cables - most of which go through waters immediately off Ireland.

“We can’t defend ourselves against any of that with our existing capacity - so, we have no choice but to strengthen our capacity and be ready for the worst.” 

Defence Forces soldiers. Picture by: PA Archive/PA Images.

For many years, Mr Finlay has been a member of the Labour Party and he admits he has had “disagreements with friends” on this topic. 

“The triple lock is a joke now,” he said. 

“The idea of insisting on a Security Council mandate which means that Russia decided where and how you deploy your forces overseas is just a complete farce. 

“It’s an absolute joke and that has to go.

“We can’t any longer delude ourselves that we’re living in a world that was like the world I grew up in.” 

Sinn Féin have said they will oppose any change to the Triple Lock and believe that a majority of Irish people support the status quo.

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Main image: Soldiers in the Irish Army  on the Curragh Plains in County Kildare. Picture by: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ie