In January 18 pieces of legislation were promised for publication by Goverment Chief Whip and Minister for State, Pat Carey. They were to be published by April 9, the last day of the current Dáil session.
Seven of these bills were to emerge from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform including the Civil Partnership Bill. On April 9 I called the Department and was told that there was no date expected for publication. I then called the office of the Chief Whip and a call was returned to me which stated that the bill was in an advanced stage of preparation and would be published in the next session.
I tuned into the Order of Business in the Dáil that morning and saw I was not the only one interested in the date for the publication of the bill.
Deputy Charles Flanagan (Fine Gael Justice Spokes-person)
…I refer in particular to the legislative programme published on 26 January that lists six Bills to be published by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform in this session. Will the Tánaiste confirm when during this session the following Bills were published: No. 9 the Civil Partnership Bill; No. 10 the Covert Surveillance Bill; No. 11 the Criminal Justice (Forensic Sampling and Evidence) Bill; No. 12 the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill; No. 13 the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering) Bill, to transpose the third money laundering directive into national law – this is the last country in the EU to effect this transposition; No. 14 the Criminal Procedure Bill and No. 15 the Property Services (Regulatory) Bill? Will the Tánaiste confirm on this, the last day of yet another session, that the Government is paralysed not only in respect of the economy and financial matters but in the justice area where nothing is happening?
An Tanaiste, Mary Coughlan replied
In normal circumstances the House would be in a position to deal with more legislation that would be on particular lists but on this occasion and in the previous session we have had to deal with a considerable number of emergency Bills which were complex and took considerable time.
We had the publication of the Anglo Irish Corporation Act, the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill and the Residential Tenancies Bill. Those were emergency pieces of legislation which were facilitated in this House. There were several debates on hugely important issues. We have a second Finance Bill to discuss, whereas in normal circumstances we would have only one.
Deputy Bernard Durkan: A third one.
The Tánaiste: A considerable number of pieces of legislation on the specific issues raised are almost completed. At the last Cabinet meeting we signed off on the covert surveillance Bill. This session does not complete this work today but will continue until 22 April and further publications of legislation will take place.
I noted later on Thursday that Nessa Childers, Labour Party candidate for the East constituency of the European Parliament Elections released a statement criticising the delay and commiting herself to supporting lesbians and gay men if elected.
Next week sees another protest from LGBT Noise giving the Government the red card and calling for Civil Marriage. The turn out at the last rally was dissappointing and I’ve noticed a slight shift in the plugs to get those who don’t want to marry themselves to support the cause. Wonder would it ever work the other way?
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Maman,
I didn’t notice anyshift in how they plug it. When I met one of the activists during the week, it was a case of marriage or nothing in her eyes. Its things like that, that turn me off groups like LGBT Noise
Steve
I saw something somewhere online in the last week about the rally that said ‘if you don’t want to marry yourself etc. etc.’ Now of course I can’t find it despite hours of searching but it did surprise me and I put it in the notebook for comment later.
I’m sure someone from LGBT Noise will be along shortly to comment/correct me!
Earlier this week I found myself having an unexpected conversation with two older gay men who have been together for about 25 years, they are so disheartened by the rejection of rights now in favour of holding on ( for an indefinite but probably lengthy time ) for civil marriage. They dont think they have that kind of time to wait. Their needs now, as with so many are being steam rollered. They have no problem with others wanting to get married, but feel that having been ignored by the straight world and denied basic rights for so long, that there is now a section of lesbians and gays who are doing the same to them. Its hard not to see their point.
In my opinion, one of the reasons that the turn out was low for the last rally, was the fact that lgbt noise and marriage equality, for whatever reason, give hardly any notice of their events. Myself and my partner are on both mailing lists and usually get about two days notice of meetings, events etc. This time we have been blessed with over two weeks notice, which I have used to spead the word to fellow gays and friends.
There’s lots going on in my head about this issue. Anger with the govt, annoyance about somewhat naive claims about gay civil marriage and more annoyance about homophobia.
The government is completely out of its depth if it hasn’t had ‘time’ to complete the civil partnership bill, when – under it’s own timetabling, etc. – it planned to bring in legislation. It doesn’t require the input of the Tanaiste/ Trade/ Enterprise Minister, so what’s it to do with her? (Unless its *that* sort of trade! The govt is failing woefully, so the Bill may not become law before the Dail falls…
For NOISE to argue for civil marriage is just not pragmatic. But if they’re website is anything to go by, they’re another faceless organisation. You want marriage: go public about it on your blog/website!
Taking Marie’s point about ‘gays in need’, if I may put it like that, we need action soon and I just feel that holding out for marriage is just insane. What you seen in other jurisdictions is a move to partnership law that is followed by further amendments to make civil marriage available for all. In a conservative Catholic country, why try to buck this trend when so many people are still living closeted lives? If you want to get married, you have to go public, are people – the more than 100 at the last NOISE meeting – ready for that? Basically, NOISE’s approach is a call to a long-haul politics. Many of us don’t have that luxury in time or money. For my part, I’m already exhausted coping with the last several months of homophobic violence against my property / car and an assault on my partner (after which he needed several stitches). Marriage provides no certitude whatsoever that Irish culture will become more tolerant of sexual difference. Groups like NOISE have to stop pretending that everything will be just “OK” or “peachy” if we have marriage, there’s a lot that needs fixing, so that we are safe and equal citizens. Marriages have to be worked at, it is not a fanciful idea, nor some schoolgirl’s crush on happily ever after. We need to talk about relationships, living together, doing intimacy, etc…. all of which seems similar and yet different to heterosexuals… jumping to marriage seems to miss the opportunity for couples to talk back! But let’s start with getting writing to the Tanaiste and the rest of them any protest about the latest betrayal…
I used to be like LGBT Noise demanding Marriage now but I have come to realise a few things
1; The political will to bring in marriage for gay and lesbian couples is not there in Ireland – out of 166 TDs I would guess that 50 would support it (total guess – no basis for guess)
2; I feel that there are couples who need rights – economic, social, political and these rights could be legislated for tomorrow but we don’t seem to consider these people – groups like LGBT Noise disregard many people; those who do not want to marry, those who badly need any form of legal recognition tomorrow
This morning I gave formal notification of my intention to marry, and was struck and angered once again to see how often the documentation specified that I be of one gender and my partner another. I fully support gay marriage, and feel some guilt over applying for a union that is so discriminatory. So what to do? Where to put pressure on to change it? How do those who are currently unable to get married under Irish law feel about the rest of us continuing to do so?
Stephen Spillane - LGBT Noise - A Change of Message? // Apr 14, 2009 at 13:44
[...] Suzy’s Blog: Next week sees another protest from LGBT Noise giving the Government the red card and calling for [...]
Hi,
This is very strange. A few points.
Public support for marriage is now at 61%. Thats up from 51% in 2006. Could it be from the work that is being done?
Calling for the gold standard in legal recognition- thats civil marriage- is surely what people should be doing? Particularly in the international context where states like Iowa now have marriage and countries like Sweeden are now up-grading from Partnership. Iains point that we should do nothing because the majority of politicians do not support marriage is extremely defeatist. Politicians change their minds quite quickly depending on public opinion.
Surely it would be quite naive for any group to be appealing for the lower alternative i.e Partnership. Partnership is a legal construct of the 90′s (the first in 1989) and has no place in modern Ireland. It is an attempt by the Government to appeal to a non existent and perceived opposition to legal recognition for the relationships of LGBT people.
The current campaigns in no way undermine the Partnership bill that is passing through the Dail and will help some people. Glen and the Greens will ensure that this is the case. But it would surely be naive for the other groups (lgbt noise and marriage equality) both politically and in the media to be seen to call for partnership.
I am on most mailing lists and receive lots of notice for events. These seems to be lots of people going to this protest if facebook is to be believed and from talking on the scene most people I speak to believe in marriage. Most of the views expressed here seem to be at odds with the majority (and the majority of the wider Irish public).