Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
ON APRIL 13-14th of this year the Constitutional Convention met to consider the issue of marriage equality. The Convention voted by a decisive majority in favour of changing the Constitution to allow for civil marriage for same-sex couples.
This strong endorsement of equal marriage rights marks an historic step in the campaign for marriage equality in Ireland and builds on the civil partnership legislation introduced in January 2011 under the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010. The then Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern spoke about the Act being “one of the most important pieces of civil rights legislation to be enacted since independence”.
The endorsement of the Constitutional Convention illustrates that the public now want politicians to further build on the progress of civil partnership by holding a referendum on marriage equality. The Government announced today that a referendum on same sex marriage will be held by mid-2015. It is now the responsibility of the Government parties to lead a vigorous, successful campaign for marriage equality.
One of the central tenants of the anti-marriage equality argument is that civil partnership is essentially the same as civil marriage and therefore there is no need to have marriage equality. This is simply not true. Research by Marriage Equality has illustrated how there are at least 160 differences between civil marriage and civil partnership. These differences range from immigration issues, to legal issues, to important protections for same-sex couples and their children.
One significant difference under the Civil Partnership Act is that a child only has a legal relationship with his or her biological parent. Essentially the Act is saying that a non-biological parent centrally involved in the life of the child is a stranger in the eyes of the law. This two-tier system is unfair and shows that civil partnership does not even remotely equate to the same thing as civil marriage.
The religious argument against gay marriage has long centred on the sanctity of the union between a man and a woman. They argue that allowing two men or two women to marry would undermine the sanctity of marriage. This argument does not take into consideration that a thriving marriage does not succeed or fail because of the sex of those in the marriage but because of the love two people share for one another.
Indeed Marriage Equality echoed this in their submission to the Constitutional Convention explaining how “we use the term ‘marriage equality’ rather than ‘gay marriage’ or ‘same-sex marriage’ because we are not looking for any special or separate kind of marriage. We don’t want to change marriage, which is about love, commitment, caring for and protecting loved ones. We want to open it up so same-sex couples can get married too. We are calling for equality”.
As practising Catholic, I refuse to accept that I am more equal or loved more in the eyes of my God because I happen to be in love with a woman and not a man. It is not about religion, or even marriage, but equality.
The position of the majority of political parties in relation to this issue has evolved significantly over the last ten years. In Ireland we have gone from having only two parties supporting civil partnership in the run up to the 2002 general election to Fianna Fáil, Labour, Sinn Féin and the Green Party all supporting marriage equality.
Politically, the most interesting aspect of any future referendum will be how Fine Gael approaches it. Many in the party fear that campaigning for marriage equality risks alienating large swathes of its traditionally conservative rural base at a crucial time. Fine Gael, however, also needs to consider that recent polling shows three quarters of the population support marriage equality. The Taoiseach should urge his party to support marriage equality and campaign strongly for it.
Following the economic crash there is a huge desire from the public to see politicians working together in the public interest. Indeed, in this decade of commemorations there would be no more fitting tribute to the revolutionary generation of 1916 than to have all of Ireland’s mainstream parties working together to help fulfil the proclamations promise to guarantee “equal rights and equal opportunities to all its citizens, and declares its resolve to pursue the happiness and prosperity of the whole nation”.
The death of the Celtic Tiger and the evaporation of economic prosperity badly bruised our Republic but the devastating economic crash has provided us with the opportunity to build a new Republic. The passage of a referendum on marriage equality would be a significant step towards a more inclusive Ireland.
Mark is a Public Relations Consultant and Fianna Fáil activist. He specialises in political communication and media relations. Follow him on Twitter at @poliireland.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Another potentially government collapse posted by the journal at midnight…
@Joseph Mc Dermott: dramatic much?
@Sean D: na, not really
The more I hear about GDPR and personal information , the more annoyed I become about these tags being used to cover people’s tracks! To claim that this information could “adversely affect public security” because perhaps vandalism might happen is as believable as a child telling teacher that “the dog ate my homework”. It points to someone covering up for someone!
@Dave Phelan: It smells of the State deliberately withholding information that directly impacts the lives of local communities under the spurious heading of ‘GDPR’.
This is serious, total bs from DOE and DOA,
Heads have to roll
@Joseph Mc Dermott: sooner noonan is gone the better
People use these waterways, we have a right to know what’s happening in them, in the intrest of health and safety. More underhand work by this government.
DOA sit right next to govt offices on the Kildare St side, they’ve always acted like the kings. We ditched kings à long time ago. The arrogance from this administration is unreal. The swagger in Dohneys after a weeks hard slog doing not much in the most ugly building on Kildare is obvious. I write this based on past experience.
@SPQH: Charlie has to go…malcom has to go… the government has to go.. full stop..let the voters decide
Government bodies Hiding behind GDPR again. GDPR is supposed to to protect citizens personal info. In reality it allows shoddy departments and companies to withhold vital info from the public.
Absolutely disgraceful.
Releasing this in the middle of the night. Who says the media and the government aren’t in cahoots. Open your eyes people. Lies, damn lies and statistics. FFG Out.
@Daniel Gilroy: it’s the Journal’s Forte,, they have been doing it for years,,, I believe that they will not get over this one.
And Eamonn Ryan is ok with this….or is too engrossed in his window vegetable boxes to notice?
@Sandra Molloy: SSSSSSSSSSSSSShhhh!, He’s sleeping!
Quelle surprise!
This constant drip of stories about agriculture is becoming boring. Orchestrated almost. Now let’s do one on pollution from Pharma, local authorities, aviation or data centres. No? Why’s that?
@HMurphy: Agriculture is responsible for nearly half our national carbon footprint so I see no issue with it releasing half the sustainability spotlight… however such is its political power, it’s hardly a whimper, and obscure midnight articles.
@Glen OhAilpin: *receiving half
@Glen OhAilpin: I call back on that stat.. no way does farming do more damage than cars and trucks.. absolutely no way
@HMurphy: When water restrictions kick in, due to drought and long dry weather spells. I hope you will be on here, moaning about why some of our water is undrinkable or polluted and then I can tell you GFY. These individuals, need to be exposed and we need to know what they are doing with the water after using it.
Ffg the people that have big wealth farming industries on a pedestal at the expense of or children’s future .
How dare they think they can hide critical information from the public, or more importantly, the scientific community.
Whatever about industry, it will survive as it’s a huge part of the economy. Farming and especially small scale farming will no longer be with us in 20 or 30 years. If I was in full time farming now I’d be thinking of something else for my children.
@quacquac 51: Farming is a huge part of Ireland’s economy, not industry.
@Pat Barry: it’s around 10% not that much
@michael walsh: According to gov.ie it accounts for 60% of indigenous manufactured exports.
Farmers, ppl who drive cars, holiday makers, ppl who burn turf…..is there anyone we haven’t blamed for climate change yet. The mob screaming save the planet and demanding punishment and taxes are as crazy as the crowd who spent two years during covid happy to have ppl locked in their houses and wearing masks to bed. There’s no level headed grown-up thinking with climate change, it’s basically two sides for and against and both are as crazy as one another. Guess what, the only losers will once again be the joe soap tax payers who will have to foot the bills for fines or pay more taxes and charges cos that is the answer to everything these days
@Tom Newell: If somebody doesn’t see all things can be true whether you like them or not. If you are so sure I suggest you go into a garage close the door and start your car. You will be fine as they don’t pollute
Oh how unequal the scales of ‘justice’ and ‘Democracy are. If I use my garden hose during a ban, I get fined and possibly imprisoned. Are these guys not doing something a trillion times worse and the law and ‘Democracy’ protects them. Are they even being charged for the quantities they steal.
So basically the civil service is a buffer between business sector and the public. If so let the business sectors pay their salaries.
Who’d have thought they could commercialise the weather, but there ya go, the yanks did, well played Al Gore. What’s next to sell to the masses? Shares in paper must be rising seeing USA are yet again printing more money to keep them afloat. 30 trillion more please sir!
“Sunlight is the best disinfectant.” comes to mind.
have your say