Civil Partnership Bill

Upcoming Legislation

April 6, 2011
By Stephen
Upcoming Legislation

The Government have published the Legislative Agenda for the summer session. The following bills will be published Veterinary Practice (Amendment) Bill Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill Dormant Accounts (Amendment) Bill Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Bill Patents (Amendment) Bill Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill Electoral Commission Bill Local Government Services Corporate Bodies (Amendment) Bill Betting (Amendment) Bill Central Bank (Supervision and Enforcement) Bill Finance (No. 2) Bill Fiscal Responsibility Bill Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme) Bill Courts (Enforcement of Maintenance and Appointment of...

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Is the demand for Gay Marriage down?

August 24, 2010
By Stephen
Is the demand for Gay Marriage down?

This is a question no one is asking after LGBT Noise’s  March For Marriage on Sunday. In 2009 Over 3,000 people took part in that Year’s March For Marriage. This year the number is down to 2000 (Figure from Irish Times). That is compared to the 5,000 22,000 people took part in Dublin Pride Parade and the 100,000 who lined the streets of Dublin for Pride. Why is this? Is it people are willing to give the Civil Partnership...

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We Are Family Too – What Does Family Mean to You?

June 11, 2010
By Stephen
We Are Family Too – What Does Family Mean to You?

As with many of the Prides that are happening in Ireland this year, there is a common theme. The theme is “We Are Family Too”. As part of this, Dublin Pride have built a special site WRF2.com to find out what family means to people. I think this is a great idea! This way even if you are not in Dublin you can still contribute! You can send your message in two ways. Online through this form or by...

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FF Senators not happy with Civil Partnership Bill

June 4, 2010
By Stephen
FF Senators not happy with Civil Partnership Bill

There was some debate yesterday in the Seanad on the Civil Partnership Bill during the order of business. Fianna Fail Senators Labhrás Ó Murchú, Jim Walsh and John Gerard Hanafin raised objections to parts of the Bill and one called for a referendum. Also Fine Gael’s John Paul Phelan also spoke against part of the Bill. Senator Ó Murchú claimed that the Civil Partnership Bill 2009 would breach some people’s human rights, he even compared it to the Penal...

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But what about the straights?

January 28, 2010
By Stephen
But what about the straights?

Image by gelinh via Flickr A lot of the talk surrounding the Civil Partnerships Bill is concentrating on the aspects concerned with the rights of gay partners. For a change it is the consequences for hetrosexual (and homosexual may I add) of the other part of the bill to do with cohabitation is being largely ignore. Carol Coulter had a very good analysis is yesterdays Irish Times about this. It is well worth reading. This bill will affect more...

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“no such institution as a ‘de facto’ family in Ireland”

December 10, 2009
By Stephen
“no such institution as a ‘de facto’ family in Ireland”

The above is a ruling from Justice Susan Denham of the Supreme Court on the right of access to a child of a lesbian couple. This was overruling Justice Hedigan, of the High Court, who held that ‘de facto’ families existed under the European Convention on Human Rights. This is an interesting ruling from the Supreme Court and takes a bit of an argument away from Gay Marriage Campaigners. The High Court judgement was being used an arguement in...

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This is a “momentous” piece of Legislation

October 16, 2009
By Stephen
This is a “momentous” piece of Legislation

Last night I attended the GLEN briefing on the Civil Partnership Bill, hosted by the Cork Gay Project and L.inc. It was a very interesting meeting and I certainly learned a lot! We were given a 3 booklets on the Bill and I am currently working my way through them and they are fascinating. The speakers were Eoin Collins, Director of Policy Change at Glen and Dr Fergus Ryan, head of Law at DIT. A few things struck me...

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