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Government to legislate for civil partnerships
Clodagh Mulvey

The [Irish] Government tonight pledged to introduce legislation recognising same sex unions over the coming months as it moved to oppose a Labour Party proposal on the issue.

Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan said he would publish an outline of his legislation by March 30th and vowed it would become law during the lifetime of the current Government.

"The Government has asked me to prepare a Bill which will provide for the registration of civil partnerships of same sex couples," Mr Lenihan said. "It will also provide protection for other relationships which lie outside marriage but which may be heterosexual or same sex."

Currently gay and lesbian couples cannot marry each other under Irish law and are therefore ineligible for the legal benefits that apply to heterosexual married couples. Legislation for civil partnerships during the lifetime of the Coalition was promised in the Programme for Government.

The Government's report will draw on the Colley Option Paper and the recommendations of the Law Reform Commission on the rights of cohabitants. It is intended to establish a statutory mechanism for the registration of same-sex partnerships, set out duties and responsibilities of registered partners and the consequences of a separation or termination of these partnerships.