Former president’s comments on neutrality ‘unfair’, Taoiseach says

It was “unfair” for former president Michael D Higgins to warn Ireland was sliding into military alliances, the Taoiseach has said.

Micheál Martin rejected allegations that Ireland was “sliding” into military alliance, stating the Government has made clear it is not joining Nato and that constitutional prohibitions around EU common defence pacts are already in place.

Mr Higgins, who concluded his second term as president last year, recently told the Irish Examiner there have been insufficient attempts at UN reform and warned that discussions over “preparatory alliances” risked “sliding into things”.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the Taoiseach said there was a need for “far more reflection” in the triple lock and neutrality debate.

Under the current triple lock system, Ireland cannot deploy any more than 12 troops overseas without a mission being approved by the UN, as well as approval by the Government and the Dáil.

The Government is proposing to remove the requirement for formal UN approval and replace it with a stipulation that the deployments are in accordance with the UN Charter.

Critics see the move as an effort to remove the core protections of the triple lock, erode Ireland’s long-standing policy of neutrality and practically align with Nato.

Mr Martin said there was already a constitutional prohibition on adopting a decision taken by the European Council to establish a common defence including Ireland.

He said: “I’ve met with former President Higgins on many occasions.

“He knows we have no intention of joining Nato, so we’ve made that very clear as a Government: We are not joining Nato.”

He added: “I think the comments were unfair.

“I think in terms of asserting – I think the word he used was ‘sliding’. We’re not sliding.

“I just want to make that very clear. And we know our limitations, by the way, in terms of military capability.”

The Taoiseach said there were regular accusations of Irish neutrality being “sacrificed” that have not transpired, and rejected Sinn Féin comments around EU warmongering as “not based on facts”.

“We’re militarily neutral. We will remain militarily neutral.”

On the topic of reform of the UN, Mr Martin said the Security Council is “dysfunctional” and added: “Ireland has been one of the foremost in trying to get reform at UN level, but everybody knows – every experienced politician knows – that reform at the UN is a long process and a very challenging process.

“And I think to say we’re not doing enough in that is not a strong analysis or a fair comment.”

The Government argues changing the triple lock will prevent the five permanent members of the Security Council: Russia, China, the UK, the US and France; from exercising their veto against Irish peacekeeping missions such as Unifil.

Mr Martin said: “Let us call a spade a spade.

“Are we seriously saying that any prospect of an Irish peacekeeping contribution in the future must depend on Russia, or indeed on the United States, or indeed on the United Kingdom, or indeed on France or China?

“The world has changed; it’s changed quite dramatically, and the Security Council is faltering and hasn’t the capacity to have a clear strategy around peacekeeping, and our only objective is peacekeeping.”

Mr Martin said Ireland does not have the “capacity” to be “engaged in wars or taking sides in conflict”, adding: “I would have thought that was apparent to most people.”

However, he said Ireland could make contributions to peacekeeping and in activities such as protection of humanitarian aid convoys, monitoring peace lines and conflict resolution.

“I think we just need that extra bit of freedom outside the restrictions of the Security Council and the triple lock.”

He said he understood “people’s genuine concerns around neutrality” but added: “I don’t detect in any party in Government any desire to join Nato, and it certainly isn’t in our programme for government – and I don’t think it will be in the next programme for government or the next government after the next election, so I think we need a sober perspective.”

Proponents of the triple lock have contended that the current system allows the UN General Assembly to approve such a mission in the absence of a green light from the Security Council.

Asked about using a General Assembly vote, Mr Martin said this was “not a realistic possibility at all”.

“Anyone who knows anything about the UN, any diplomat would tell you, that’s not a runner.”