Posted on 01/26/2006 1:49:29 PM PST by wagglebee
DUBLIN, Ireland, January 26, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) –Ireland will retain its definition of the family without including same-sex relationships, according to a report released yesterday by Ireland’s Prime Minister Bertie Ahern.
The ‘All Party Report on the Constitution’ recommends that a civil partnership system should be formed instead. The system would accommodate cohabiting and same-sex couples, leaving the original definition of ‘family,’ based on marriage, intact.
Under the civil partnership system, there would be two forms of union. A civil registered partnership would apply to both heterosexual and homosexual couples, while a ‘presumptive civil partnership’ would apply only to heterosexual couples that had lived together for an extended period of time and presumably had formed a partnership agreement.
The system would limit same-sex couples to registered partnerships, since it would not be possible to assume two men or women living together were homosexual.
Couples under civil partnerships would have some recognized rights under law, but the rights would be limited, and not equivalent to marriage.
The report did not address the question of whether or not homosexual couples would be allowed to adopt children.
There has been a recent push in the European Union to give homosexual couples legal recognition. Spain, Belgium and Holland have legalized gay marriage—many other states in the EU have legal civil unions for homosexual couples.
See related LifeSiteNews coverage:
Gay Civil Unions "Grave Signs of Dehumanization" Says Vatican Cardinal Trujillo
HEHE, such a fuss over a thing like the will of the people!!
You forgot Austrailia
Great home page! Enjoyed it!
Thank you!! It actually needs work!
Good news.
What about Portugal?
Please add me to your ping list. Thanks.
I havent heard that nation mentioned
So, you married an Irish girl, and have the scars to prove it?
"Ireland isn't in the EU. They didn't want the Continent dragging down its economy."
Uhhh...what?
Ireland is in the EU.
And the primary reason for the Irish economic boom is the advantages (and transfer payments) offered by EU membership.
"The most Conservative of the Modern nations are said to be the US, Ireland Italy and Poland."
I gather that you are excluding all of Latin America from the definition of "modern nations". I think that's a mistake: Brazil and Mexico are both more important economically than Ireland or Poland, and they are certainly as modern.
Japan is certainly modern, and GRIMLY conservative in every sense.
But if we just confine "Modern Nations" to Europe and North America, then that list is probably true. Right behind them is probably Portugal. What they all have in common is that they're Catholic, except for the US. But what makes the US conservative is that it is religious, so there's a common thread running there.
Add Latin America to the list, and the whole continent is more conservative than the US or most countries in Europe. After all, abortion is illegal in every Latin American country except Cuba.
Yep. ;)
Meanwhile, the same sentiment prevails in Virginia ...
Virginia lawmakers OK same-sex vote
RICHMOND, Va., Jan. 26 (UPI) -- Virginia lawmakers have virtually assured a statewide referendum on whether to constitutionally bar same-sex marriages.
The Virginia Senate voted 28-11 to follow the House of Delegates in approving the gay marriage amendment which says, in part: "Only a union between one man and one woman may be a marriage valid in or recognized by this Commonwealth and its political subdivisions."
If approved by the voters in November, the proposal would amend the state's 230-year Bill of Rights and while both houses must agree on each other's measure, the Washington Post reports support for a ban is strong.
Eighteen state constitutions define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Massachusetts is the only state that grants marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Connecticut and Vermont recognize civil unions.
Copyright 2006 by United Press International. All Rights Reserved.
THIS to me, is the BEST option.
I have gay friends. I have gay family members.
I am in Ireland...I can see how they need to have their co-habiting situation regularised legally in the long term...bur it IS NOT and NEVER WILL BE marriage.
My gay friends agree with me.
An Taoiseach has it right here.
Carry on.
You have hit it on the nail, Happy!!
Just on your scarcity of Playboy in Ireland point: Playboy was legalized in Ireland in the mid-90s and was freely available for around five years (I'm a fairly young male, so I know these things!). The reason it is now scarce is nothing to do with pornography (after all, Playboy is incredibly tame in comparison to what is freely available in other publications and on the net) - its about cigarette advertising. As far as I remember, there is a cap on the numbers of a magazine which can be sold in Ireland once those ads are present (its in the very low thousands I think).
Yeah, we definitely benefited from EU payments. However, low corporate taxes and a skilled and very educated workforce have had just as much to do with our good economy in recent years. Many American companies, especially in the IT world, have based their European and international operations in Ireland.
Sounds like this should keep everyone happy. Personally, I've no problem with gays getting married, but I don't know if Ireland is ready for it yet, particularly the older generations.
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