Will ditching the triple lock damage our neutrality or vindicate our sovereignty?

Prof Ben Tonra: Yes. Decisions about international security and peacekeeping will continue to be decided by the Irish people The triple lock has no impact on Ireland's traditional military neutrality - and never had. It was a phrase cooked up in the 2001 Nice referendum debate by the FF/PD coalition to underline the fact that under existing legislation the Defence Forces could not be deployed overseas without a "UN mandate". It was defined in March 2002 by then taoiseach Bertie Ahern, who said that the deployment of troops was determined by it being ". . . part of an operation…