Government to recognise same-sex unions

CIVIL partnerships including same-sex unions will be recognised in Ireland within the lifetime of this Government, it was announced last night.

Justice Minister Brian Lenihan and Environment Minister John Gormley both announced the Government is going to press ahead with legislation that recognises same sex partnerships and the “myriad” other forms of life partnerships without legal status in Ireland at present.

The surprise move to legislate came ahead of a Labour Party move to re-introduce its Civil Union Bill, which it introduced in the previous Dáil last February.

Mr Gormley, the Green Party leader, accepted this agreed item in the programme for government had come to the fore much earlier than he expected.

But the party denied last night that it had been panicked into coming up with its own civil partnership proposals to save it embarrassment when the Labour Party re-tabled the bill.

Last February the Greens enthusiastically endorsed the Labour bill. The Greens said last night they have been working on the bill since last September.

Mr Gormley described the move as a “historic decision”.

For his part, Mr Lenihan claimed the advice from the Attorney General was that the Labour bill was unconstitutional and that it did not address the “myriad relationships” other than same-sex couples.

He said the Government would give recognition to siblings living together and to other heterosexual and companion-type relationships and vulnerable dependent cohabitants at the termination of a relationship.

Mr Lenihan also claimed the legislation would be consistent with the constitution. He largely ruled out the possibility of a constitutional referendum.

As regards the Government’s proposed legislation he said it would have “heads” of the bill prepared by the end of March 2008.

Mr Lenihan also said that in drafting the legislation, the Government would take into account previous reports.

“It supports the commitment in the agreed programme for Government to legislate for civil partnership at the earliest possible date in the lifetime of the Government,” he said.

Labour’s constitutional spokesperson Brendan Howlin last night attacked the Government move as cynical and vague.

He challenged Mr Lenihan’s claim that his civil union bill was unconstitutional and argued: “Presumably those who believe that this measure would undermine marriage are not saying that citizens of a homosexual orientation should reconcile themselves to heterosexual marriage.”