THE NEXT government should upgrade the Civil Partnership Act to bring
it into line with same-sex legislation in Northern Ireland, the Church
of Ireland Changing Attitude Ireland group has said.
It describes
itself as “a network of persons, gay and heterosexual, working for the
full affirmation of gay and lesbian persons in the Church of Ireland and
other Christian denominations”.
In a statement that welcomed the
introduction of civil partnership in the Republic on New Year’s Day, and
“the broad range of benefits that same-sex couples will now be entitled
to under the new law”, the group’s secretary, Canon Charles Kenny,
pointed out that the Act was still “second class” when compared to the
legal situation in Northern Ireland.
“We now call on the new government
shortly to be elected to remedy its defects, namely the failure to make
provision for the guardianship of children and their adoption by
same-sex couples,” he said.
The group’s Dr Richard O’Leary said
current civil partnership legislation in the Republic “fails to meet the
Irish Government’s own commitment in the Good Friday Agreement to
provide in the Republic of Ireland ‘at least an equivalent level of
protection of human rights as will pertain in Northern Ireland’.”
Canon
Kenny also said he looked forward “to the registration and the
celebration of civil partnerships on the premises of those churches who
are willing to host them”.
SIC: IT/IE