The Government has approved legislative changes which will allow the deployment of special forces troops to Kyiv to protect Irish officials there.
This is in addition to moves to dismantle the triple lock which requires United Nations approval to deploy more than 12 peacekeepers abroad.
Personnel from the Army Ranger Wing (ARW), the Defence Forces’ special forces unit, had been due to deploy to Ukraine to protect Irish officials in 2022 after Ireland reopened its embassy there, seven months after the Russian invasion.
However, the Government received legal advice that there was no specific legislative provision for the deployment of Irish troops on protection duties. This is despite Irish soldiers being sent on several similar missions in the past.
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The legal obstacle left the Irish delegation as one of the only European Union countries without an official close protection team and forced the Department of Foreign Affairs to hire a private security company to protect Ambassador Thérèse Healy and her officials.
The legal advice also prevented ARW personnel from accompanying senior government figures on visits to Kyiv. Protection was instead provided by the Garda Emergency Response Unit (ERU).
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Under a Bill approved by the Cabinet on Tuesday, armed troops will now be able to deploy overseas on protection duties, opening the way for the ARW to take over security at the Kyiv embassy and in other dangerous locations around the world.
Close protection is one of the core skill sets of the ARW, which is considered the most highly trained unit in the Defence Forces.
The changes are “particularly important in terms of supporting Irish citizens, while contributing to the protection of our Embassies and close protection duties overseas,” the Department of Defence said.
The main focus of the Bill approved by the Cabinet is the reform of the triple lock and the removal of the need for UN approval before sending more than 12 peacekeepers overseas.
The Cabinet approved plans to amend legislation so only Government and Dáil approval is required to send peacekeepers.
Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Simon Harris has said the Triple Lock allows the five permanent Security Council members, including Russia, to veto the deployment of Irish peacekeepers.
The new legislation will also raise the number of troops which can be sent abroad without Dáil approval from 12 to 50 to enable an immediate response to emergency situations, such as a requirement to evacuate civilians.
All of the changes will be contained in one Bill which will now be sent forward for pre-legislative scrutiny.
Members of the Opposition parties have strongly criticised the dismantling of the triple lock and say it is part of a Government effort to undermine Irish military neutrality.
Mr Harris said under the triple lock, “countries like Russia have the power to veto Ireland’s participation in missions via their role as permanent members of the UN Security Council.
“We don’t believe that Putin or other leaders should have a veto on whether our troops can be deployed.”
