Attack on neutrality

Ireland’s neutrality

Ireland’s neutrality means, according to the Irish Neutrality League, that the Irish state takes a principled position that “requires impartiality in refraining from supporting or helping either side in a military conflict, thereby reducing the potential for prolonging or intensifying war.”[1] Historically, Ireland’s neutrality is rooted in its history of life under British rule. As a “a post-colonial nation” Ireland has experienced suffering “under imperialist conquest and occupation” and has no moral inclination to do the same to other countries, argues the Irish Neutrality League. Opposition to wars in distant countries and to membership in military alliances is “a core element of popular Irish national sentiment,” explains Anthony Coughlan, professor emeritus at Trinity College Dublin and spokesperson for the National Platform EU Research and Information Centre in Dublin, in an interview with german-foreign-policy.com. There is “little desire to get involved in wars side-by-side with Britain”.[2] Surveys show high levels of support for neutrality. Most recently, in April 2025, almost two-thirds of respondents in a poll conducted by The Irish Times newspaper said they were in favour of neutrality.[3]

The Triple Lock

There is a direct contradiction between the neutrality of Ireland as an EU member state and the stance of the EU itself. It has existed since the EU signed up to the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP). A common military policy was established with the Treaty of Nice, which was signed in 2001 and entered into force on 1 January 2003. This contradiction is considered the main reason why the Irish population initially rejected the treaty in a referendum. They only approved it in a second referendum after the government agreed on the ‘Triple Lock’ safeguard. According to this arrangement, no units of more than twelve Irish soldiers may be deployed abroad unless, firstly, the government has given its consent, secondly, the Irish parliament has given its consent and, thirdly, a supporting resolution has been passed by the United Nations Security Council or General Assembly. The EU’s problem of popular resistance to militarisation was repeated with the Treaty of Lisbon, which was signed in 2007 and only entered into force on 1 December 2009. That agreement provided for the transformation of the ESDP into the more comprehensive Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). This too was initially rejected in a referendum before being approved in a second Irish referendum, again following the government’s confirmation of the role of the Triple Lock.

Creeping militarisation

The Irish government has in practice undermined the country’s constitutional neutrality on a number of occasions. For example, Dublin has given US military transporters to stopover permission at Shannon Airport on their way to war zones in the Middle East. As Coughlan points out, Ireland also plays an active role in the EU foreign and military policy. On 1 October 2024, the then Deputy Prime Minister (Tánaiste) and Defence Minister Micheál Martin, who has since become Prime Minister (Taoiseach), officially acknowledged that Dublin was considering participating in the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI), an air defence system initiated by Germany but covering the whole of Europe.[4] Before then, in February 2024, the Irish government had signed a so-called Individual Tailored Partnership Programme (ITPP) with NATO, which allows for a greater exchange of information, including intelligence. A member of the Irish government confirmed at the time that Ireland has, for example, access to NATO’s cyber defence systems. Specifically Ireland is as ‘contributing participant’ in the NATO Cooperative Cyber Centre of Excellence (NATO CCDCOE) based in the Estonian capital Tallinn. Dublin argues that NATO collaboration helps Ireland to protect its own underwater infrastructure.[5]

No UN Security Council resolution needed

In order to be more flexible in any future deployment of Irish soldiers, the Irish government is now preparing to abolish the Triple Lock. It has presented a draft bill, the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025, to this end. Its core provision is that no green light from the UN Security Council will be needed to justify sending Irish soldiers abroad.[6] As a concession, the bill merely states that deployments must take place in accordance with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations. The idea is to facilitate missions for peacekeeping, conflict prevention and “strengthening international security”, opening up a broad and flexible spectrum of military action. True, future missions involving more than fifty Irish soldiers would normally still require not only a government decision but also a parliamentary resolution in the Dáil. However, the latter may be waived in the event of a mission extension. Here, the government has sole discretion. And missions involving fewer than fifty Irish soldiers would no longer need any parliamentary approval. Indeed, deployments would not be limited to the UN but are to be made possible within the framework of the OSCE, the EU and all other regional organisations, provided they are deemed to be consistent with the Charter of the United Nations and international law. NATO claims controversially to be a compliant organisation in this respect.

Protests

There is growing mood of opposition to the planned abolition of Ireland’s Triple Lock. Last Saturday, around a thousand people took to the streets in Dublin to demonstrate against the removal of legal constraints on military interventions and for upholding Irish neutrality. The demonstration was organised by a broad alliance of opposition parties, including Sinn Féin, along with extra-parliamentary organisations campaigning jointly under the slogan of “Together for Neutrality”. Speakers included Alice Mary Higgins, independent senator in the Irish Senate (Seanad Éireann), and Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald. Back in May, opposition politicians had already declared that they would “fight like hell” to uphold the country’s constitutional neutrality and the Triple Lock.[7] The demonstration has now emphatically reinforced this message: “Save our neutrality!” they chanted, and “Keep our Triple Lock!”[8]

[1] Why Neutrality? neutrality.ie.

[2] See here and below: “Defending Neutral Ireland’s Triple Lock”.

[3] Irish Times poll: Current model of neutrality backed by 63% of voters. irishtimes.com 19.04.2025.

[4] Departmental Policies. Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday – 01.10.2024.

[5] Ireland in new agreement with Nato to counter potential threats to undersea infrastructure. thejournal.ie 09.02.2024.

[6] Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025. Dublin, February 2025. Mícheál Lehane: Government publishes legislation to remove Triple Lock. rte.ie 21.05.2025.

[7] ‘Hands off Irish neutrality’: Opposition parties join together to protest triple lock changes. thejournal.ie 10.05.2025.

[8] Jackie Fox: Dublin rally urges Govt to protect Ireland’s neutrality. rte.ie 14.06.2025.