Dáil expected to approve civil partnership legislation

LANDMARK civil partnership laws will not be damaged by the fall-out from the stag hunting row, Green leaders have said.

Environment Minister John Gormley is confident legislation to give same-sex couples many of the rights enjoyed by heterosexual ones will not be hit by a backlash as it passes its final Dáil stages today.

Stag hunt rebel Mattie McGrath included the civil partnership bill in a list of laws he claimed the Greens were “bullying” Fianna Fáil backbenchers into supporting. However, a spokesperson for Mr Gormley pointed out that giving extra legal protection to same-sex couples was Fianna Fáil policy as well and the Greens had amended their initial policy of civil marriage to accommodate their Coalition partners in the programme for government.