Recognising non-married couples would dilute the status of marriage

IT would be an exaggeration to say that Fine Gael’s new policy document on civil partnership aims to abolish marriage. But the overstatement would only be slight.

The policy launched last Thursday, if it ever became law, would disestablish marriage as the preferred norm for Irish family life.

FG proposes to allow registered civil partnership for cohabiting heterosexual and homosexual couples. Registered partners would get tax, social welfare and pension benefits as well as succession rights, next of kin, residency and workplace entitlements similar to those currently conferred on married couples.