And now onto the Seanad. It’s 21 years since the first European State passed a registered partnership bill. Ireland today is on it’s way to catching up – slow as ever.
The Bill passed without a vote and there were moving speeches at the end, some acknowledging the fact that the bill does not go far enough for many but that it is a start. And then there was Mattie McGrath TD. He got in at the end to say his bit and he’s not happy. But he was one of the very few.
Then there was a lot of noise in the public gallery – applause and lots of it as the Ceann Comhairle closed proceedings without a vote. I think the noise surprised a few people.
Green Minister Ciaran Cuffe TD tweeted pictures from the Dáíl Visitors Bar later on. This week the Green Party have seen 3 Bills pass that were important to them. Many are saying that has taken 3 years for the ‘Green effect’ in government to become truly visible. (And for some in Fianna Fail to realise they are in a coalition.)
Now is the moment where I’m supposed to say something about Dermot Ahern, sorry I can’t really, he has stood up to the bigots regarding conscientious objection but that’s as far as I can go as the equality and human rights institutions of the state remain so damaged. I will pay tribute to Charles Flanagan and Brendan Howlin for their contributions to the debate and attention to detail throughout. It has been interesting to watch all stages of the bill so far and learn even more about parliamentary processes and to watch many others watch the formation of legislation for the first time.
This is an emotional day for many and there will be more days to come as the legislation is enacted. One regular reader of this blog is in a relationship for over 30 years and emailed me yesterday saying she and her partner can’t wait. For others there continues to be uncertainty and great anger as their families continue to be ignored and unprotected. And there are also very many other burning issues that need to be tackled as it’s not all over yet in terms of true equality and respect for all in Ireland.
I oppose marriage as an institution and will continue to do so and continue to argue against the way in which queers seek this recognition as a mark of respect or an equal institution.
I may not shout about civil partnerships or want a ‘hats and aisle’ day myself but I do support those who want these rights to have them and hope my right not to be labelled or put in a box will also be respected. I also want to see a genuinely secular state where all can be free and celebrated no matter how we live our lives.
PS – Irish Rail - get ready to take down those bloody signs. The Social Welfare and Finance Bills are due in the Autumn and I look forward to the amendments to that piece of legislation in particular.
Suzy thanks for all your coverage of this over the months and the links to liveblogs, livestreams, documents and interviews. I’m happy we will have protections and rights and that my partner will be protected should I die. I’m also not in favour of a marriage only option as it’s far too male and patriarchal and religious an institution for me and many other women.
Do you think the Seanad debate will happen in one day?
I saw the minister earlier saying that there will be some delay getting it all enacted as there are other laws that need to be passed first. Which ones are they?
Joan, I think the Minister, in a response to a request from Deputy Howlin that he enable Civil Partnerships quickly after it is signed by the President, said that he did not want to delay, but that changes first need to be made to both taxation and social welfare legislation in the Autumn. He said that significant work had been done on the Social Welfare change process.
phew and what a long time this has taken. i think civil partnership is very important in its initial attempts to offer legal and by implication state protection to lesbians and gay men and to others covered in the legislation. ultimately, i think this is about the relationship between the state and the individual. i also object to marriage in its current and historical manifestations. marraige is a way for society, mediated by the state to regularise the individual’s behaviour and actions. this is a somewhat overdeterministc view. but marraige is also a social construct that varies across time, cultures and places. how individuals organise their personal relationships is a matter for them but when a society determines that what they do is ‘objectionalbe’ in some respects (generally never completely clear) then we need the state to intervene and lead. like maman poulet, i think dermot ahearn has shown his true colours with regard to human rights.
‘Why are we waiting?’
While relieved that the Civil Partnership Bill has passed the Dail I note that the Minister for Justice, the Government and their officials have given only vague hints as to when the the first Civil Partnership will take place in Ireland. Does this mean that they do not know?
Name the day Minister!
Why the delay in passing the supporting legislation? The Bill has been before the Dail for a year and the Heads were published two years ago and agreed to in the programme for Government three years ago. Why was the supporting legislation not passed at the same time as the Civil Partnership Bill?
Why do the gay and lesbian lobby groups accept the Government timetable without comment or criticism?
We must wait again while other legislation such as the Wildlife Bill speeds through the Seanad today having been passed in the Dail only a few days ago. Animal issues are important but are they more important than Civil Rights?
‘Why are we waiting?’ is a refrain which I think we will all become familiar with over the next year….or so……
Mary O’Rourke announced the arrival of the Luas less often that the Government has announced the arrival of Civil Partnership In Ireland.
Being pragmatic, I welcome this necessary legislation but wish legislators could address how this issue impacts on the unspoken assumptions of heterosexuality/ heteronormativity, as that would be “the” radical step. This Bill, with all its shortcomings, problematises the naturalness of heterosexuality. In time to come, we’ll wonder what it was all about… I think as we come to reflect more on this issue, it will dawn on more people…
Liam Thornton on humanrights.ie has an interesting post on the implications of a new decision of the European Court of Human Rights on Irish legal situation of what constitutes a family. Looks like we’ll need to update the new Bill as soon as it is passed.
http://www.humanrights.ie/index.php/2010/07/01/the-de-facto-same-sex-family-and-irish-law/
The bill is great progress but the fight for marriage equality and for adoption rights for gay couples must continue.
Maman Poulet » Thou shalt not take pictures in the Dáil Bar // Jul 5, 2010 at 03:00
[...] me to take down the picture tweeted by Minister Ciaran Cuffe in the Dáil bar last Thursday night which I blogged shortly afterwards. The picture showed politicians and members of the lesbian and gay community celebrating the passage [...]