Ireland votes to end UN approval requirement for overseas peacekeeping missions

Irish lawmakers voted Wednesday in favour of controversial legislation to scrap a mechanism preventing the overseas deployment of Irish military peacekeepers without a green light from the United Nations.

The Dail, Ireland's lower house of parliament, approved the bill by 79 votes to 71, despite opposition warnings that the move threatens the country's longstanding military neutrality.

Ireland is not a NATO member, but its small defence force of just over 8,000 personnel has traditionally engaged in international peacekeeping operations.

Currently three steps -- dubbed a "triple lock" -- have to be taken before more than 12 members of the Irish defence forces can be sent abroad on any mission.

The first and second steps are green lights from the government and parliament, with the third step -- UN approval -- now set to be scrapped.

The government argues that Ireland should be able to respond to crises without waiting for approval from the UN Security Council.

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It has become increasingly concerned about the effective veto given to the council's five permanent members -- China, France, Russia, Britain and the United States.

"The UN Security Council is no longer functional; it's paralysed," taoiseach (prime minister) Micheal Martin told parliament Wednesday.

Martin said the change was intended to preserve Ireland's tradition of peacekeeping, rather than undermine its neutrality.

"We're very good at the peacekeeping, particularly good at it ... that's all we want to continue," he said.

Under the proposed legislation, the number of soldiers that could be deployed without parliamentary approval would also increase from 12 to 50.

But the triple lock is seen by opposition parties as one of the foundations of Irish military neutrality.

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald accused the government of dismantling vital safeguards and opening the door to closer military alignment with NATO.

"Scrapping the triple lock opens the door to Ireland being dragged into EU military structures, dangerous alliances and further alignment with NATO," she said.

McDonald demanded a referendum on the changes, warning that proceeding without public consent would be a "profound betrayal".