Ireland To Move On Gay Partnership Bill

Ireland To Move On Gay Partnership Bill

by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: November 30, 2007 - 7:30 am ET
(Dublin) The Irish government will bring in civil partnership legislation in March a cabinet minister told an LGBT group on Friday.
Equality Minister Seam Power said he expects the bill to become law later in 2008.
Power, speaking at a symposium on same-sex couple rights, that the government is keen to have the law passed as quickly as possible and he does not foresee any resistance from the opposition.
The cabinet earlier this month approved granting same-sex couples the same rights as married couples, but without the name marriage.
A private members bill was introduced last year by Labor Party justice critic Brendan Howlin and was modeled after Britain's civil partner law.
At the time Prime Minister Bertie Ahern said that the bill equated civil partnerships with marriage and after warning the legislation would be rejected by the Supreme Court Parliament his government voted against the measure.
A clause in the constitution says the government must protect the institution of marriage.
Last year two government committees recommended civil partnerships but without many of the rights of marriage, including the right of couples to adopt children.
Earlier this month Kieran Rose of the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network told national broadcaster RTE Radio that he was against any bill that did not recognize full equality, but he said he was a "practical pragmatist" and welcomed any move to protect the rights of people in same-sex relationships.
Recent public opinion polls show that 84 percent are in favor of some recognition of same-sex couples while 53 percent would allow gay couples to marry.
©365Gay.com 2007