Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)

I move amendment No. 1:

To delete all words after ''That'' and substitute the following:

"Seanad Éireann notes the following legislative developments since 1992:

the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 1993 which decriminalised sexual relationships between men;

the Unfair Dismissals (Amendment) Act 1993 which deemed as unfair dismissal on the ground of sexual orientation;

the Refugee Act 1995 which included a well founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of sexual orientation within its ambit;

the Employment Equality Acts 1998 to 2007 and the Equal Status Acts 2000 to 2004, prohibiting discrimination on 9 grounds including that of sexual orientation;

provisions in the Health Insurance (Amendment) Act 2001, prohibiting the varying, on grounds including that of sexual orientation, of amounts payable by insurers in respect of the treatment and care of insured persons;

the European Convention on Human Rights Act 2003, which obliges organs of the State to perform their functions in a manner compatible with their obligations under the Convention. The Convention provides for non-discrimination on grounds such as sexual orientation in the enjoyment of rights and freedoms set forth in the Convention;

provisions in the Parental Leave (Amendment) Act 2006, regarding force majeure leave for persons, including same-sex couples, in relationships of domestic dependency;

and further notes:

that legislative reform must be fully consistent with the relevant provisions of the Constitution;

the options identified by the Colley group, including in particular for same-sex couples;

the tenth report of the All-Party Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution, on the Family, which recommended that civil partnership legislation should be provided for same-sex couples;

the report of the Law Reform Commission on the rights and duties of cohabitants, which recommended provision of a redress mechanism for vulnerable dependent cohabitants at the termination of a relationship; and

the Government's decision reflected in the Government legislative programme published on 27 September 2007 to prepare a scheme of a Bill;

and supports the commitment in the agreed programme for Government to legislate for civil partnership at the earliest possible date in the lifetime of the Government, so as to establish supportive legal framework for same-sex couples in committed relationships."