Civil Partnership Bill Passes both Houses of the Oireachtas

July 09, 2010

Last evening (Thursday 7th July, 2010), the Seanad (the upper second chamber of the Irish Parliament) passed the Civil Partnership Bill, The Bill has completed it’s passage through the Oireachtas (Parliament) and now goes to the President of Ireland to be signed into law. Following an intense debate over two days, a vote was finally called in the Seanad with 48 Senators supporting the Bill and 4 voting against.

Seanad chamber

All parties strongly welcomed the Bill in their closing statements in the debate. Senator David Norris in his closing statement said: “I am proud that this day has come. It is a massive, overwhelming victory. It is a victory, not for gay people nor for Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, the Green Party, Labour or the Independents; it is a victory for decency and for this country”.

Very many speakers from all political parties recognised the omission of children from the Bill and strongly affirmed the need to quickly bring forward legislation to recognise, protect and support children in same-sex families as part of urgently needed reform to address family diversity in Ireland.
 

Release courtesy of GLEN (www.glen.ie ); Image Source: AnCatDubh