[article] Govt Kicks down Civil Partnership Bill

damien

http://www.queer.ie/features/news/news.asp?articleid=84&zoneid=16

Irish Govt Interferes with Civil Partnership Bill. Long Delay expected.
Feb 17th 2005 - Queer.ie

Last night the Government was strongly criticised for attempting to kill Senator David Norris’s Civil Partnership Bill.

This latest fracas comes as a result of the Government publishing an ammendment to the Bill with just eight hours notice. When Senator Norris and opposition parties protested strongly the Government then proceeded to backtrack slightly.

Senator Sheila Terry of the Fine Gael party stated “It was clear that the Government wanted to stymie debate and delay the move towards equality."

However this Government backtracking only came about following negotiations with Senator Norris. These negotiations resulted in the Government agreeing to withdraw its amendment but they were give a guarantee that no vote would be taken until the All Party Committee and proceedings in the Courts were completed. The fact that no completion date for either has been decided leaves the Civil Partnership Bill in political limbo for an unknown duration.

The Court proceedings mentioned by the Government relate to a case taken by Ann Louise Gilligan and Katherine Zappone, a lesbian couple who are taking the state to court to seek recognition of a marriage performed in another country. The All Party Committee has just recently finished taking submissions on Marriage and the Constitution and is now going through all the submissions.

Senator Terry added “Fine Gael would have supported the Bill tonight with a view to addressing any difficulties at Committee Stage. We do not share the Government’s view that this matter must wait for the Committee to reach a decision- and repeatedly warned the Government against adopting this stalling tactic.

In July 2004 Fine Gael published its own Policy paper on Civil Partnership though it calls for less rights than Senator Norris's Bill.

This latest political maneuver by the Government has ensured that full equality in Ireland has been delayed yet again and many Irish people will have to wait even longer before being treated as real equals.

damien

Here's the debate on it:

http://debates.oireachtas.ie/DDebate.aspx?F=SEN20050216.xml&Page=1&Ex=1028#N1028

swiss

Remember that Fianna Fáil will be looking for your vote as well folks.

Yoda

McDowell said:

Section 6, in effect, would mean marriage, albeit by another name. It is doubtful whether there are anyadvantages to providing in law for an institution for heterosexual couples which mirrors marriage to that extent. I agree that the situation is different for homosexual couples, for whom marriage is prohibited at the moment. I want to take this opportunity to put it on the record of this House that the Government is unequivocally in favour of treating gay people as fully equal citizens in our society. That is why the Government parties, and all parties in the House, concurred on the decriminalisation of homosexuality. We passed other equality legislation on sexual orientation to ensure that people cannot be discriminated against on the basis of their sexuality.

Fully-equal citizens should have the right to marry regardless of their sexual orientation.