Government cowardly on civil partnership

WITH regard to the recently-published Civil Partnership Bill, I find it incredible that so-called modern Ireland has a government that refuses to give all of its citizens equal rights.

Must the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) community beg for equality on their knees like beggars on the street, second-class citizens in their own country?

This bill does little more than reinforce the existing prejudice surrounding the LGBT community and further highlights the cowardice of the Government.

With this bill, our ruling politicians had a chance to make a much needed change for the better, but they wasted it. What use to any society is a government that is inept at coping with and effecting any form of change?

Surely governments have the responsibility to act on behalf of the best interests of all of the country’s citizens? The eradication of prejudice is in the best interests of us all, but what use is that when there are members of our government who are themselves blinded by prejudice?

Perhaps, we should all turn a blind eye and look the other way like we always seem to do in this country?

Ireland is waking up, but its government has put the alarm on snooze again.

Laura Harmon

Slievereagh

Ballyvourney

Co Cork