Civil Partnership laws come into force in Ireland!

Yesterday was a mammoth day for the advancement of gay rights in Ireland -  same sex civil partnership law came into force at the start of this year!

 

Yes,  new laws allowing same-sex couples to register their civil partnership came into power yesterday,   the response has been mixed,  with the usual religious bodies condemning the issue, wishing to deny  the freedom they enjoy to other human beings.  Yet from the gay community the news has been welcomes with cheers and jubilation.

Whilst it is not equal same sex marriage,  it is a step in the right direction,  as is any move forward to equality.

The Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (Glen) said the Civil Partnership Act was a “new dawn” for gays and lesbians in Ireland, but another group condemned the Government’s failure to give full equal marriage rights to gays and lesbians.  There was also complaints that the new law had a distinct  lack of parental rights for gays and called on the Govt. to follow the lead set by many  other countries in Europe and elsewhere to  “open up the choice of civil marriage to all citizens”.

The new Irish  Act provides for the legal recognition of same-sex relationships and for granting certain protections to cohabiting couples when they break up through separation or death.
It provides for similar rights for same-sex as for married couples in relation to property, social welfare, succession, maintenance, pensions and tax. It also provides for the dissolution of such partnerships.

Last month,the Irish  Minister for Justice, Dermot Ahern signed the commencement order which allows the law to come into force on 1st  January.  As the registry offices are closed, due to the bank holiday, the  first applications are likely to be made on Tuesday.   Which means we should be seeing the first gay civil partnership take place in April,  as a 3 month  notice period must be given of a civil partnership.  

Jason Shaw