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Agreement in the Dáil, acrimony in the Seanad
11 July 2010 By Pat Leahy, Political Editor
Following a long and fractious debate, the Seanad passed the Civil Partnership Bill last week, after a guillotine motion - which ends the debate - was used in the Upper House for the first time in decades.
The legislation had earlier passed all stages in the Dáil without any opposition, and now goes to the president to be signed into law.
The first same sex civil partnerships are expected to be recognised by the beginning of next year.
Gay rights groups welcomed the development, describing it as an historic advance, though many are continuing to campaign for full civil marriage.
Conservative groups, however, may yet challenge the legislation in the courts.
The catholic bishops have previously indicated that they were considering a legal challenge. Though the debate on the bill in the Dáil was marked by a consensus among all the parties - and passed without opposition from a single deputy - there was trenchant opposition in the Senate.
The effort to block and amend the bill was led by independent Senator Rónán Mullen and supported by three Fianna Fáil senators: Jim Walsh, John Hanafin and Labhrás O’Murchú. They lost the party whip as a result.
Mullen’s opposition to the bill was condemned in strident terms by many senators from all parties. Indeed, the level of hostility directed at the bill’s opponents by senators was one of the unusual features of the debate.
Mullen was on his feet for much of the debate, leading to accusations of filibustering (delaying legislation by speaking at great length), and he was shouted down by several senators on a number of occasions. Fianna Fáil senator Lisa McDonald accused opponents of the bill of ‘‘dressed-up bigotry’’.
Fine Gael senator Eugene Regan said of one of Mullen’s amendments: ‘‘I am trying to examine the basis of why he and other senators tabled this amendment. It boils down to a hostility towards gay people."
The opponents of the bill sought to introduce a large number of amendments, though the arguments were similar for many of them.
Among other proposals, they sought to have an exemption on the grounds of conscience for registrars who did not wish to conduct gay partnership ceremonies.
Labour Senator Ivana Bacik described it as ‘‘a fig leaf to cover what would otherwise be blatant prejudice’’, while Dominic Hannigan, another Labour senator, said: ‘‘I have come across many people who claimed to hold sincere-held beliefs against homosexuality of same-sex couples.
‘‘They may regard their beliefs as sincerely held, but others would simply regard them as homophobia."
Mullen responded by saying he did ‘‘not normally talk about my personal life, but I subscribe to a Christian world view, which suggests we should be ready to give our lives for each other.
Whether a person is homosexual, a sister, brother or distant relative does not come into it.
That is the standard I try to live by.
‘‘There is no hatred or fear of homosexual persons in my heart and I do not believe it is in the heart of any of the others who have tabled amendments.
It would be too bad if people trying to legislate for the common good were constantly having their motivation scrutinised and being accused of some quite ugly motivation when such motivation is absent."
After two days, the debate on the bill appeared set to continue indefinitely until the leader of the Senate Donie Cassidy announced last Thursday afternoon that he was guillotining the debate at 6pm.
It was passed by 48 votes to four.
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