10/30/2007
Irish same-sex couples could get Civil Unions in 2008
The Civil Union Bill for Ireland will be debated in the Dail on Tuesday 31st October and Wednesday 1st November, on private members' time.


The Civil Union Bill was first debated in the Dail on 20th/21st February 2007. The motion, which will be debated in the Dail this week, will also require the Dail Committee on Justice to complete its consideration of the Committee Stage of the Bill before the end of December 2007.
The purpose of the Bill is to provide same-sex couples with civil unions legally equivalent to civil marriage, in the same way as the Civil Partnership Act did in the UK, two years ago.
A same-sex couple wed by civil union will be included in any legal definition or use of terms such as "married couple", "spouse", "family", "dependent", "next of kin", and relationships defined by civil union or civil marriage will be regarded as equal under the law.
The Bill will include provisions for dependent children and adoption: at present only a married couple in Ireland can adopt a child as a couple, and it is planned that a couple wed by civil union will have the same rights and responsibilities towards each other's children, and children adopted as a couple, as a married mixed-sex couple would.
Brendan Howlin TD, Spokesperson on Constitutional Matters and Law Reform, said that the enactment of the Bill "would represent a very significant step towards the provision of full equality for gay and lesbian citizens and particular for those in same sex relationships."
He also said: "I believe that there has now been sufficient time devoted to consultations and discussion of the issue. Gay and Lesbian citizens are entitled to expect the Dail to legislate to ensure that they have the same basic rights as other citizens. I am also confident that Irish society has matured and attitudes changed sufficiently to stage where a majority of our people would have no problem with legislation that would provide same-sex couples with the same rights and duties that are generally available to married couples."