Government to recognise gay civil unions
Posted by Gay News Desk at 10:32 AM. Filed under: Gay News
Gay couples who got married abroad could have their partnership recognised here as soon as the Government’s Civil Unions bill is introduced.
According to a report in today’s Irish Times, dozens of gay couples are already travelling to the UK and Canada to get married in advance of the eagerly anticipated bill.
Same sex civil partnerships and marriages that were obtained in other countries are expected to be recognised here as soon as the Civil Unions bill is introduced, under a number of conditions.
The bill is also expected to be automatically recognised in countries where same sex civil partnerships and marriages are already legal.
The Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan has already stated a civil union bill for gay couples is expected to be published before the summer.
The proposed partnership scheme will allow same sex partnerships to avail of rights similar to those available to married couples in areas such as tax, pension and benefits.
Source: belfasttelegraph.co.uk
January 6th, 2008 at 9:08 am
A couple of corrections - Minister Brian Lenehan has promised to introduce the heads of a bill before summer, points for discussion, not an actual bill. We have no idea when the bill will be introduced, and it is more likely to be named ‘civil partnership’ than ‘civil union.’
January 6th, 2008 at 9:22 am
I agree with you Eloise, it’s going to be called civil partnership… I hope this will go through quickly though.