Civil partnership law do not go far enough, say activists

New civil partnership laws for same sex couples are only a half-way house in the quest for full marriage equality, human rights activists insisted today.

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties welcomed the proposed new Government rules but hit out at those who deny gay couples the same rights as heterosexuals.

Under the newly published laws, a gay couple living together will enjoy greater tax, inheritance and pension rights.

One Catholic-think tank claimed it undermined the special status of marriage.

But Mark Kelly, ICCL, director said: “This new legal structure offers a solid foundation for the recognition and protection of loving same sex relationships.

“However, although it is solidly grounded, the Bill remains a halfway house to granting genuine equality to same sex couples through full civil marriage.

“Now the onus is on those who, for religious or other reasons, still believe that it is acceptable to discriminate against people on the basis of their sexual orientation to explain why their prejudice should be reflected in law.”

Gay rights group GLEN (Gay and Lesbian Equality Network) said the Civil Partnership Bill would resolve many immediate and pressing issues of concern for same sex couples.

Kieran Rose, GLEN chair, gave credit to Justice Minister Dermot Ahern for bringing forward the legislation.

“All political parties have played a role in getting us to this point and there is huge public support for change,” he added.

However concerns remained about the issue of legal support and recognition of the many children being parented by same-sex couples, according to GLEN.

The Iona Institute claimed the new laws revealed a deeply flawed and poorly though-out approach to family policy.

Spokesman Dr John Murray said: “The main purpose of family policy is the promotion of the family that is most beneficial from the point of view of the child, and that remains the family based on the marriage between a man and a woman.

“Family policy is not primarily about the promotion of equality between adults as the Government now seems to believe.”

The Civil Partnership Bill will also allow for a redress scheme when long-term relationships end.

It will be open to both gay and heterosexual couples who never married or engaged in a civil agreement.

Mr Ahern said the Bill deals with both the special protection afforded to marriage in the Constitution as well as the demand for equality.

“The Bill has been carefully framed to balance any potential conflict between these two constitutionally guaranteed rights,” Mr Ahern said.

“This balance is achieved by maintaining material distinctions between civil partnership and marriage, in particular between the rights attaching to both, while at the same time reflecting the equality rights protected by the Constitution.”

Fine Gael welcomed the Bill but warned it needed further study, while other opposition parties claimed it fell short on the Government’s commitment to equality.

Charlie Flanagan, Fine Gael’s justice spokesman, said: “As legislators, we need to recognise the diversity in society and promote the fundamental values of tolerance and equality.”

Labour Party’s Brendan Howlin said: “The Civil Partnership Bill published today while providing a welcome advance for the many thousands of loving same-sex couples who want to have their relationship recognised by the State to which they pay taxes, certainly falls short in terms of this commitment to equality.”

Sinn Féin’s Aengus O Snodaigh said the gay community must be afforded full marriage rights.

Trade union Umbrella group Congress said the Bill marked a significant step forward for lesbians and gays in their quest for equality.