Labour LGBT condemn watered down civil partnerships
26 June 2008
Statement by Cllr Cian O'Callaghan
Statement by Cllr Niall McNelis
Statement by Kevin Humphreys TD
Statement by Brendan Ryan TD
Statement by Cllr Jenny McHugh
Statement by Cllr Eamon Tuffy
Statement by John Feely
Statement by Eamonn Walsh
Statement by Theresa Walsh
Statement by Cllr Peggy Hamill
Statement by Cllr Michael Kenny
Statement by Cllr Tony Cierans
Statement by Cllr Jerry Mullally
Statement by Cllr Lorraine Kingston
Statement by Cllr Marie Fitzpatrick
Statement by Cllr Tomas Hannon
Statement by Alex White TD
Statement by Cllr Mark Wall
Statement by Cllr Michael Dollard
Statement by Marie O'Rourke
Statement by Cllr Paddy Bourke
Statement by Don Watchorn
Statement by Cllr Willie Hamilton
Statement by Cllr Gerry Sheridan
Statement by Cllr Michael O'Brien
Statement by Cllr David Moloney
Statement by Senator Lorraine Higgins
Reform & Foreign Affairs
Statement by Senator Denis Landy
Environment & Defence
Statement by Peter Cutliffe
Statement by Kathleen Lynch TD
Minister of State, Department of Health and Department of Justice, Equality & Defence with responsibility for Disability,Older People, Equality & Mental Health
Statement by Seamus Rodgers
Statement by Cllr Paula Desmond
Statement by Cllr Leonard Hatrick
Statement by An Comhalta Fiachra Ó Céilleachair
Statement by Cllr Gerard Corcoran
Statement by Cllr Sean O'Grady
Statement by Cllr Ronan McManus
Statement by Cllr Billy Cameron
Statement by Cllr Niamh McGowan
Statement by Cllr Paddy Mac Namara
Statement by Cllr James O'Shea
Statement by Cllr Mary Freehill
Statement by Cllr Gillian Wharton Slattery
Statement by Cllr Seanie Lonergan
Statement by David Moffatt
Statement by Mayor James Henson
Statement by Cllr Ronan Sheehan
Statement by Cllr James Kennedy
Statement by Pat Ward
Statement by Cllr Mick O'Connell
Statement by Arthur Spring TD
Statement by Cllr Francis Browne
Statement by Cllr Stephen Stokes
Statement by Cllr Marie Corr
Statement by Senator Jimmy Harte
Enterprise, Jobs & Innovation
Statement by Cllr Dermot Lacey
Statement by Cllr Nicky Sheehan
Statement by Cllr Steve Wrenn
Statement by José Ospina
Statement by Cllr Mary McCamley
Statement by Cllr Ken Hickey
Statement by Noel Tuohy
Statement by Chris Rowland
Statement by Dominic Hannigan TD
Statement by Cllr Martin Coughlan
Statement by Cllr Keith Martin
Statement by Cllr Michael Ahern
Statement by Cllr William Quinn
Statement by Jack Wall TD
Statement by Cllr Henry Upton
Statement by Cllr John McGinley
Statement by Cllr Eoin Holmes
Statement by Cllr Lettie McCarthy
Statement by Elena Secas
Statement by Cllr Tomás Breathnach
Statement by Margaret McCarthy
Statement by Cllr Brian Collins
Statement by Cllr Maria Parodi
Statement by Aodhán Ó Ríordáin TD
Statement by Cllr Tracy O'Brien
Statement by Robert Dowds TD
Statement by Cllr Grainne Kilmurry
Statement by Ciarán Lynch TD
Statement by Cllr Nuala Nolan
Statement by John O'Brien
Statement by Cllr Jonathan Meaney
Statement by Cllr Bobby Ireton
Statement by Senator Marie Moloney
Social Protection
Statement by Proinsias De Rossa
Statement by Cllr Ger Dunne
Statement by Cllr Virginia O'Dowd
Statement by Cllr Noel McCarthy
Statement by Cllr Anton McCabe
Statement by John Sheehan
Statement by Cllr Joe Leddin
Statement by Senator Susan O'Keeffe
Seanad Whip and Spokesperson on Agriculture
Statement by Cllr Aoife Breslin
Statement by Cllr Paul Crowdle
Statement by Cllr Maurice Shortall
Statement by Cllr Marcella McGarry
Statement by Cllr Gerry McGuire
Statement by Cllr Damian Molyneaux
Statement by Cllr Paddy Cosgrave
Statement by Cllr Linda Bell Woods
Statement by Cllr Sean Purcell
Statement by Cllr John Redmond
Statement by Cllr Teresa Wright
Statement by Peter O'Donovan
Statement by Cllr Caitriona Jones
Statement by Cllr Finbarr O'Driscoll
Statement by Cllr John Mulvihill
Statement by Cllr Sean Counihan
Statement by Joe Costello TD
Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade with responsibility for Trade and Development
Statement by Senator John Kelly
Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht Affairs, Training & Skills
Statement by Cllr Harry Barrett
Statement by Michael McNamara TD
Statement by Cllr Joe Ryan
Statement by Cllr Chris Bond
Statement by Cllr John Pratt
Statement by Cllr Sheila Howes
Statement by Cllr Tommy Prendergast
Statement by Cllr John Byrne
Statement by Cllr James Cogan
Statement by John Lawler
Statement by Bobby Fitzgerald
Statement by Cllr Ciaran Byrne
Statement by Cllr Peter Keaney
Statement by Cllr Brendan Leahy
Statement by Cllr Lucy McRoberts
Statement by Cllr Tony McMahon
Statement by Declan Meenagh
Statement by Cllr Paddy O'Callaghan
Statement by Ken Kinsella
Statement by Cllr Carrie Smyth
Statement by Phil Prendergast MEP
Statement by Cllr Tadhg O'Donovan
Statement by Cllr Jan Rotte
Statement by Mayor Terry O'Brien
Statement by Siobhan McLaughlin
Statement by Gerald Nash TD
Statement by Mayor Gerry McLoughlin
Statement by Cllr Niamh Bhreathnach
Statement by Alan Kelly TD
Minister of State, Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport with responsibility for Public & Commuter Transport
Statement by Eamonn Maloney TD
Statement by John Lyons TD
Statement by Cllr Patrick Collins
Statement by Cllr Dermot Looney
Statement by Cllr Tom Kelleher
Statement by Cllr Aine Clancy
Statement by Cllr Conal Kavanagh
Statement by Cllr Pamela Kearns
Statement by Cllr Peter Coyle
Statement by Cllr Brian McDowell
Statement by Cllr Denis O'Callaghan
Statement by Cllr Orla McLoughlin
Statement by Joanna Tuffy TD
Statement by PJ McDonnell
Statement by Colm Keaveney TD
Statement by Cllr Tom Shortt
Statement by Sean Kenny TD
Statement by Cllr Stephen Fitzpatrick
Statement by Cllr Jack Walsh
Statement by Cllr Richard Humphreys
Statement by Cllr Kevin Byrne
Statement by Cllr Barry Nevin
Statement by Cllr Tommy Grimes
Statement by Cllr Rebecca Moynihan
Statement by Sean Sherlock TD
Minister of State, Department of Enterprise, Jobs & Innovation and Department of Education & Skills with responsibility for Research & Innovation
Statement by Cllr Mick Duff
Statement by Mayor Des Cullen
Statement by Nessa Childers MEP
Statement by Cllr Greg Duff
Statement by Cllr Denis Leonard
Statement by Cllr Monica Harford
Statement by Cllr Tracy McElhinney
Statement by Anne Ferris TD
Statement by Cllr Peadar O'Kelly
Statement by Michael McCarthy TD
Statement by Aidan Pendlebury
Statement by Brendan Howlin TD
Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform
Statement by Stephen Goulding
Statement by Mayor Billy Kyne
Statement by Cllr Declan Leddin
Statement by Cllr Catherine Clancy
Statement by Cllr Anne Breen
Statement by Cllr Breeda Moynihan Cronin
Statement by Cllr Dan Galvin
Statement by John Ryan
Statement by Peadar Markey
Statement by Cllr John Kennedy
Statement by Bernie Courtney
Statement by Eamon Gilmore TD
Leader of the Labour Party, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs & Trade
Statement by An Comhalta Patrick Hanafin
Statement by Jan O'Sullivan TD
Minister of State, Department of Environment, Community and Local Government with special responsibility for Housing and Planning
Statement by Mayor Lalor McGee
Statement by Cllr Seamus Ryan
Statement by Cllr Ger Gibbons
Statement by Cllr Tom Fortune
Statement by Cllr Caroline Townsend
Statement by Pat Rabbitte TD
Minister for Communications, Energy & Natural Resources
Statement by Oliver Somers
Statement by Cllr John Gallagher
Statement by Cllr Pat Cody
Statement by Cllr Michael O'Donovan
Statement by Ciara Conway TD
Statement by Cllr Oisín Quinn
Statement by Cllr Jim Quinlan
Statement by Emmet Stagg TD
Chief Whip
Statement by Cllr Frank McBrearty
Statement by Joan Burton TD
Minister for Social Protection
Statement by Cllr James Mahon
Statement by Cllr Ken Farrell
Statement by Cllr Thomas Redmond
Statement by Derek Nolan TD
Statement by Cllr Roisin Lucey
Statement by Mayor Seán Ó hArgáin
Statement by Yvonne Shanahan
Statement by Cllr William Paton
Statement by Liam Hogan
Statement by Cllr Tomas O'Brien
Statement by Tom Cashman
Statement by Senator Ivana Bacik
Statement by Cllr Gearóid Buckley
Statement by Cllr Liam O'Brien
Statement by Cllr Martin Farren
Statement by Cllr Colm Purcell
Statement by Cllr Shaun Cuniffe
Statement by Cllr George Lawlor
Statement by Cllr Pat O'Hora
Statement by Cllr Andrew Montague
Statement by Cllr Frank Fahy
Statement by Cllr Jimmy O'Shaughnessy
Statement by Cllr David O'Byrne
Statement by Cllr Sean Howard
Statement by Jerry Cowley
Statement by Cllr Jim Townsend
Statement by Cllr Una Kelly
Statement by Cllr Ted Howlin
Statement by Senator John Whelan
Statement by Ann Phelan TD
Statement by Senator Mary Moran
Education, Disability, Equality & Mental Health
Statement by Cllr Jim McGarry
Statement by Cllr Jane Horgan Jones
Statement by Cllr Colette Connolly
Statement by Cllr Gerry Ashe
Statement by Michael Conaghan TD
Statement by Senator Aideen Hayden
Housing, Children and Youth Affairs
Statement by Cllr Pio Smith
Statement by Cllr Johnnie Penrose
Statement by Cllr Breeda Bonner
Statement by Cllr Ger Barron
Statement by Cllr Grace Tallon
Statement by Cllr Detty Cornally
Statement by Cllr Sarah Dunne
Statement by Cllr Pat Leahy
Statement by Cllr Tara O'Connell
Statement by Cllr Des Hurley
Statement by Cllr Noel Costello
Statement by Cllr Johnny Kenehan
Statement by Cllr Johnny Walsh
Statement by Cllr Pascal Fitzgerald
Statement by Cllr Angela Murphy
Statement by Cllr Denis O'Flynn
Statement by Cllr Padraig McLoughlin
Statement by Cllr Lar Byrne
Statement by Cllr Dee Jacques
Statement by Cllr Tom Costello
Statement by Ciaran Connolly
Statement by William Tiernan
Statement by Cllr Lisa Delaney
Statement by Mayor Paul Bell
Statement by Cllr John Mulvihill Jnr
Statement by Cllr Jane Dillon Byrne
Statement by Eric Byrne TD
Statement by Senator John Gilroy
Health, Public Service, Reform, OPW
Statement by Emer Costello MEP
Statement by Cllr John Kelleher
Statement by Ruairi Quinn TD
Minister for Education and Skills
Statement by Nicky Kelly
Statement by Cllr Michael O'Sullivan
Labour LGBT has announced their opposition to the heads of bill announced by the Government for their Civil Partnership Bill. As expected, the bill does not include the right to apply to adopt for same-sex couples. However, the Government have gone even further in institutionalising inequality, by failing to provide equal rights in relation to taxation or social welfare for same-sex couples.
Speaking after the publication of the heads of bill, Labour LGBT Co-Chairperson Neil Ward said: "It seems incredible that the Government are seeking to introduce a partnership model which makes no attempt to introduce equality in areas such as income tax, inheritance tax, capital gains tax or social welfare receipts. To intentionally create a model that will continue to ensure inequality in these basic areas is bewildering and disappointing. We also condemn the failure to deliver the right to apply to adopt for same-sex couples, which will continue to deepen the inequalities experienced by children currently living in households with same-sex parents."
"We have long expected the Government to deliver a watered down form of partnership for same-sex couples. However, we are staggered by the inequalities which will be preserved by the introduction of this bill." Minister Gormley recently defended the delay in publication of this bill, stating that "it was better to delay publication and try to ensure the best outcome". However, the bill which the Government are now publishing represents an enormous weakening of the position proposed by the Labour Party when introducing the Civil Unions Bill, and cannot in any way be seen as a significant form of partnership for same-sex couples.
