Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree with Deputy Shatter's suggestion. I welcome the amendment and the reduced fee. We can consider this in the context of from where we have come. Civil partnership, as the State allowed it, was the only legal recognition that men and women of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, LGBT, community could get but because of the vote of the people, we are no longer being locked out. We are being included. As Deputy Shatter has correctly said, a fee was paid by people entering civil partnership. We have also changed the way in which registrars can celebrate marriages, such as the venue. I am not quite sure how much it would cost the State to waive the fee and I understand fees must be paid. The number of people already in a civil partnership is not staggeringly high and it would be a great gesture from our State to say to those people who before 2015 could only go to a certain point and were locked out of marriage, but now, because of the will of the people, they are included. It would be a great gesture to people already in civil partnerships.

This is an idea that may not be possible because of administrative fees but it would send a powerful message. One might argue that we are being a bit pedantic. Deputy Shatter used the word "unusual" but there was a uniqueness in civil partnership and what we are doing now. This would be a great gesture, if it can be done, so we should look at doing it.

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