A cross-party Oireachtas committee examining the Triple Lock which governs the deployment of defence forces personnel overseas has made no recommendation on whether the existing system should be removed or retained.
RTÉ News understands the Oireachtas Committee on Defence and National Security's final report on the matter - which will be sent to the Department of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday - does not include a recommendation on the future of the Triple Lock.
The committee's report is also understood to suggest removing the triple lock could be seen as contradicting the Nice and Lisbon treaties, but did not vote in favour of an opposition committee members proposal for a Citizen's Assembly on neutrality.
Under existing rules, any foreign deployment of 12 or more Irish Defence Forces personnel can only take place when it has been approved by: the Dáil, the Government, and has received a United Nations security council mandate.
While the rule is heavily linked with Irish neutrality, the Government has called for its removal in recent years, due to concerns the UN security council could see legitimate Irish deployments vetoed by larger nations like the US, China or Russia.
The Oireachtas committee on Defence and National Security has been tasked in recent weeks with examining whether the third stage of the triple lock should be removed, changed or retained.
However, it is understood that during a lengthy private meeting of the committee yesterday, during which more than 160 amendments to the original 49-page report were discussed, no definitive final conclusion was drawn.
Amendments sought by Opposition
A number of Sinn Féin and Labour amendments seeking to retain the UN security council stage of the Triple Lock were rejected by votes in the committee, which has a Government majority.
However, no specific amendment to remove the UN security council stage was put forward to be included in the committee's final report.
A number of TDs and senators on the committee privately told RTÉ News they were surprised no specific amendment to remove the UN security council stage was tabled.
Some suggested this was an error by Government party members, others said that this potential removal will be included in the general scheme of a Government bill at a later date, and others suggested there has been a cooling of views within the coalition on the issue.
The committee - which includes eight Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael TDs and senators compared to six Opposition TDs and senators, meaning there is a clear coalition parties' majority - will send its final report to the Department of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday.
Any Government bill on the future of the Triple Lock will not go before the Dáil and Seanad until autumn.
