Irish parliament approves civil partnerships bill
From PinkApproved
10th July 2010
Ireland: Senate Approves Civil Partnerships Bill, To Begin January 1st?
As expected, yesterday Ireland’s Seanad rubber-stamped the nation’s lower chamber and approved its civil unions bill 48-4.
The Green Party Minister for State Ciarán Cuffe, who instigated the move to introduce the legislation in 2007, welcomed its approval last night. He said changes will need to be made in social welfare and tax laws to facilitate the change. He said those changes would most likely be made in December’s Budget.
“I would be happy if it was in place from January 1 next year. Without giving too many hostages to fortune, I am optimistic that the first civil registrations can take place from then,” he said.
Irish politicians have passed a bill granting gay and lesbians couples the right to civil partnerships.
The bill passed in the Dail yesterday without a vote and justice minister Dermot Ahern said the move reflected change in Irish society.
"Our society has change substantially in recent decades,’’ he said. “While marriage is more popular than ever, other forms of relationships have become increasingly common; they create some difficulties in the legal system and require in our law a measure of recognition and of protection."
Irish gay campaigners welcomed the bill's progress but reiterated concerns that some areas of the law were not covered.
Kieran Rose, the chair of the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network, called it a "major civil rights reform and a great achievement for Irish society".
But he added: “A continuing area of concern for GLEN however, is the absence in the bill of support and recognition of the many children being parented by same-sex couples. This critical omission will have to be addressed.”
The rights the bill will give include protections and obligations across areas such as protection of the couple's shared home, domestic violence, residential tenancies, succession, refugee law, pensions, taxation, social welfare and immigration.
All parties supported the bill, although some individual politicians attacked it.
It is expected to become law in the autumn, 17 years after Ireland decriminalised homosexuality.
The bill will go to the upper house (Seanad) in the next two weeks, which has limited power but can send it back to the lower house. Once passed by the Seanad, the president signs the bill into law.
PinkApproved Hotel : View our front runner hotel Four Seasons Hotel Dublin - getting ready to support the bill and Civil Partnerships
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