Comments on: Ireland to refuse adoption rights for gay couples

By: Bishop Ioan

Bishop Ioan — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:15:11 +0000

You have to love it (heavy sarky)! WHEN is Ireland going to come out of the Middle Ages and treat LGBTQ people like adults with full civil rights? The lack of adoption rights is yet ANOTHER reason why LGBTQ people cannot accept anything but FULL marriage.

My spouse and I would love to visit Ireland but will not until LGBTQ people are given full legal personhood and that includes the right to adopt!

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By: Simon Murphy

Simon Murphy — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 14:56:47 +0000

Well then – write to the email addresses above to say you are cancelling your real/imaginary holidays to Ireland this year because of this discriminatory new law. Ireland is a small country – several emails to 1 minister actually get noticed.

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By: Andrew

Andrew — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 09:56:11 +0000

I believe it's already been stated that parenting rights will not be included in the new Civil Partnership Bill for Ireland.

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By: John

John — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 21:51:55 +0000

Simon Murphy-

Technicaly, in the reference of related legislation, a civil partnership is compleatly removed from marrage; laws relating specificaly to marraged coupled (e.g. the right to be considered for addopting) have no bering on couples in a civil partnership.

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By: Simon Murphy

Simon Murphy — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 14:01:12 +0000

And feel free to send them a mail to ask them to clarify to you as well. Here's what I wrote:

"Dear Minister Andrews,

I was interested to read that the Irish government published the Adoption Bill 2009 last month and that the proposed legislation limits access to adoption to married couples and individuals, excluding non-married same-sex and opposite-sex couples. At the same time the government published a legislative programme promising to introduce a Civil Partnership Bill for gay couples in the current Dáil session

Please confirm that the Adoption Bill 2009 will ensure that once Civil Partnership legislation for gay couples is enacted that gay couples will no longer be excluded from adopting children as the Adoption Bill currently indicates.

I need this clarification as it appears that at present the government seems to be saying that gay people will soon enjoy equal rights for their relationships but there remains lots of possibly discriminatory 'grey areas' like this one in the Adoption Bill.

Looking forward to your response

Yours sincerely"

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By: Simon Murphy

Simon Murphy — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 13:50:50 +0000

Although I am writing to Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs – Mr Barry Andrews – to clarify this. His email is @health.gov.ie">omc @health.gov.ie The email of the department's legislative office is @health.gov.ie">Terry.Fitzpatrick @health.gov.ie Their press officer is @health.gov.ie">Brendan_Doherty @health.gov.ie.

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By: Simon Murphy

Simon Murphy — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 13:40:59 +0000

From my understanding though once the civil partnership law comes into effect then gay people will have the same adoption rights as heterosexual married couples. Granted that is discriminatory against unmarried couples (both straight and gay) but it's not specifically anti-gay.

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