Ditching the triple lock does not require a referendum

Sir, – Jim O’Sullivan ( Letters, October 30th ) calls for a referendum on the triple lock to ensure the will of the people and not that of “powerful people” is served. I presume the powerful people he refers to are the members of the Dáil who are elected by the people to legislate and govern on our behalf? There is no need for a referendum because removing the triple lock does not change the Constitution. Referendums are expensive, dominate the government agenda for several months at the expense of everything else, are frequently hijacked by unrelated issues, and results can be skewed by protest votes against the government of the day.

They should be held only when absolutely necessary to decide constitutional issues. The triple lock was approved in the Dáil and can be removed by the Dáil. O’Sullivan argues that there has been only one UN veto on peacekeeping missions that has impacted Ireland (the China veto on Macedonia). It is misleading to imply that this is the only occasion that Ireland has been impacted. The UN, under pressure from the US, has not renewed the mandate for the UN Interim Force in Lebanon.

Ireland’s long and honourable peacekeeping mission in that region will end because of decisions made by the US in support of Israel. Right now these are the powerful people whose interests are being served by the triple lock. – Yours, etc, KAY CHALMERS, Douglas, Cork.