Government paves way for same-sex civil partnerships
Tuesday June 24 2008
The government has approved the Heads of a Civil Partnership bill, paving the way for laws to give legal recognition to civil unions for same-sex and heterosexual couples.
The proposed legislation will bring Ireland into line with most EU States.
Justice Minister Dermot Ahern said the bill would have a number of key objectives:
"As well as providing for Civil Partnership Registration for same-sex couples, it will also provide certainty as to the status of cohabitation agreements, and a legal safety-net to people living in long term relationships who may otherwise be very vulnerable at the end of a relationship, whether through break-up or through bereavement."
