Results 15,101-15,120 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Seanad: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009: Committee Stage (7 Jul 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I hope Senator Norris is not suggesting that the Minister politically interfered with the Equality Authority. If anything, the Equality Authority-----

Seanad: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009: Committee Stage (7 Jul 2010)

Dermot Ahern: -----was used in a very political way by others, but not by the Minister.

Seanad: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009: Committee Stage (7 Jul 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I do not accept Senator Regan's contention that I did not address the points in regard to each of the amendments. I have full confidence in the members of the Law Reform Commission, including the chairperson.

Seanad: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009: Committee Stage (7 Jul 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The Senator misunderstands what is contained in the Bill. The terms used in the legislation are "ordinarily resident" and "domiciled" and they act as alternatives to each other. The court may have jurisdiction if a couple, or one member thereof, is ordinarily resident in the State or is domiciled here. Being ordinarily resident does not require that one need be present within the State at...

Seanad: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009: Committee Stage (7 Jul 2010)

Dermot Ahern: No, there is no particular timeframe involved. One has a domicile of origin and if one wants to change this, one can then adopt a domicile of choice. In the context of the people to whom the Senator refers, namely, members of staff of the Department of Foreign Affairs, members of the Defence Forces and others in the employ of the State who are stationed abroad, they do not lose their...

Seanad: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009: Committee Stage (7 Jul 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The provision relating to what constitutes being ordinarily resident, which is also contained in the Bill, would cater for those people who are resident in Ireland as a matter of fact.

Seanad: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Jul 2010)

Dermot Ahern: Do not go there.

Seanad: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Jul 2010)

Dermot Ahern: Under section 7 of the Guardian of Children Acts 1964 to 1997, the father, mother or adoptive parent of a child may appoint a testamentary guardian. In a case where a child is being brought up by a parent and a civil partner, the parent is free to appoint the civil partner as testamentary guardian of the child. Although such guardianship does not bring with it succession rights, the...

Seanad: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Jul 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I do not worry about the ability of the Oireachtas to deal objectively with issues. Senator Feeney described the example of a female same-sex couple, one of whom is the biological parent of a child. Leaving aside the testamentary guardianship issue, they can make arrangements for the death of one or both partners in the form of a will but this would be subject to the Succession Act 1965....

Seanad: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Jul 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The biological parent would have to sign away his or her rights before the child could be adopted by the other partner. I hazard a guess that this is an unusual situation which is highly unlikely to arise.

Seanad: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Jul 2010)

Dermot Ahern: Senator Mullen spoke about the issue of adoption. I do not like to bring personal circumstances into a debate, but as an adoptive parent who has been through the adoption process, I know that the best interests of the child, rather than the interests of the adoptive parents, are primary in the decision to sanction an adoption. It is entirely a matter within the law laid down by the...

Seanad: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Jul 2010)

Dermot Ahern: Declarations as regards civil partnership status will rarely be required. If, after the passage of this Bill, a person enters a civil partnership here, he or she will always be entitled to be treated as a civil partner for the purposes of Irish law, unless and until the civil partnership is dissolved. Likewise, if a person has entered a civil partnership or equivalent registered partnership...

Seanad: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Jul 2010)

Dermot Ahern: Amendment No. 7 proposes to specify that a relationship entered into prior to making an order under section 5 is also recognised by that order. However, there is no doubt that this is already the case. The wording of section 5 makes this abundantly clear. A relevant relationship is recognised from the later of the date on which the order took effect or the date on which that relationship...

Seanad: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Jul 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I have said many times since the Bill began in this House and the other House that the Government and the Oireachtas are constrained in how far we can go because of the Constitution. I said many times that there are detailed and distinct differences between what is being proposed in this Bill, namely, civil partnership, and marriage, as Senator Mullen said. While I cannot recall his exact...

Seanad: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Jul 2010)

Dermot Ahern: Yes. It relates to the Equality Act.

Seanad: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Jul 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I saw that and that is why I asked the question.

Seanad: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Jul 2010)

Dermot Ahern: Absolutely, although I accept what the Senator says, that he is merely trying to emphasise that there is a distinction between civil status and marriage.

Seanad: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Jul 2010)

Dermot Ahern: It is necessary for the Senator to say this publicly because it could be construed from what is being suggested in the amendments that there is an effort to restrict-----

Seanad: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Jul 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I cannot put it any more succinctly than what is stated in the Bill, namely, that civil status means being single, married, separated, divorced, widowed, in a civil partnership, etc. In my opinion, this does not in any way downgrade the institution of marriage.

Seanad: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Jul 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I do not wish to be antagonistic. However, I am disappointed that the people who tabled this amendment do not appear to accept my bona fides when I state that the legal advice the Government received from the Attorney General is such that it cannot cross the line in respect of the distinction between marriage and civil partnership. This is either a debate about semantics or it is about...