Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)

On a cold December day 50 years ago, Rosa Louise Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man. She was arrested and put on trial for that act of civil disobedience. She stood up for equality and human and civil rights. I wish the Government had the same courage to support the Labour Party Bill.

The Green Party commends the Labour Party for introducing the Civil Unions Bill to the Dáil. As Deputy Howlin stated last night, this is a seminal equality issue. The Green Party is strongly committed to providing full equality for all gay and lesbian citizens of the State. It is very telling to an Opposition party such as ours that the Government has dithered on this matter for well over a year. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell, has had the options paper from the working group on domestic partnerships, as well as the Law Reform Commission report to inform him. Still he has no indication on what he will do in the matter. Last night he claimed the Government was unequivocally in favour of treating gay and lesbian people as full equal citizens in our society. These are hollow words indeed from the other side of the House.

Added to the criticisms in last night's debate were the comments yesterday of Polish President Lech Kaczynski about the gay community at the National Forum on Europe. His homophobic pronouncement that gay culture posed a threat to the survival of the human race was nothing short of disgraceful. In fact, he is a threat to the survival of human rights on the Continent.

Last autumn the Green party launched its policy, Value in Families — a Policy on Marriage and Partnership Rights, which places enormous value on the vital role marriage plays in our society, but it also recognises that many aspects of this institution have changed since the Constitution was adopted in 1937. It is vitally important to update legislation to provide for the contemporary times in which we live. Same-sex couples should have the opportunity to avail of the rights and responsibilities of marriage, not just civil unions. We would go further and give the right to marry to all same-sex couples.

Marriage is a human right and is recognised as such by many treaties, as well as by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and so many other international agreements. Same-sex couples are permitted to marry in Holland, Belgium, Spain and Canada, in the state of Massachusetts and the Republic of South Africa. To relegate same-sex couples to some marriage-like institution is to deny them their human rights, dignity and rights as citizens of the State. We would like to introduce legislation that would go further and permit the removal of all gender specific terms from current legislation and regulations governing the granting of marriages. This would allow same sex couples to enjoy the equivalent rights and responsibilities of marriage afforded to heterosexual couples, should they so choose.

We have a Constitution that is stuck in the sleepy backwaters of the 1940s. We have a Constitution that does not recognise families other than those based on marriage. We have legislation that does not recognise same-sex relationships. Tax laws and inheritance rights are blind to the reality of modern Ireland. They are blind to the fact that one third of the children born in Ireland today are born outside marriage. It is time to drag the Constitution and legislation kicking and screaming into the 21st century. It is clearly a matter of human and civil rights and equality. Just like Sr. Rosa Parks 50 years ago, this Legislature needs to take a brave step forward. For that reason the Green Party supports the Labour Party's proposals.

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