Fianna Fáil has accused the Government of putting the triple lock mechanism, which requires UN, government and Dail approval before the Defence Forces are deployed, up for debate.

Responding to the publication of the Green Paper on Defence today, Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Defence Seán Ó Fearghaíl said the document was a “point of concern” for his party.

“The document published by Minister Shatter today puts the triple lock up for debate which is a point of major concern for my party. Although Minister Shatter has never explicitly called for our neutrality to be abandoned, his distaste for it is manifest from virtually all his public utterances. So when we hear that he has his sights on the triple lock it is natural to be concerned,” he said.

He said his party would do everything it could to retain it.

"Furthermore, in opposition under Enda Kenny's leadership, Fine Gael brought forward a Bill to remove the Triple Lock. The party also produced a policy document called 'Beyond Neutrality'. Now while I find it unimaginable that Fine Gael and Minister Shatter will get their way on this I think it is nonetheless important that a message is sent to the government at this stage that the Triple Lock should be retained and we will do everything we can to retain it.

"My party warned about this policy prior to the last election – as did the Labour party. Typically though, when the programme for government was drawn up, the Labour policy on the Triple Lock went the way of the commitment to child benefit and student college fees."

He said while the party acknowledged the UN was “not perfect” it needed to be recognised that it conferred a legitimacy on peacekeeping operations that other international organisations cannot do.