Ivana Bacik (Independent)

I move amendment No. 4:

In page 17, between lines 25 and 26, to insert the following:

"(4) In this Act, "married couple" means an opposite-sex or same-sex married couple or a couple who have entered a registered civil partnership with each other.".

We debated this amendment at some length on Committee Stage so I do not propose to go back over that ground in detail. It is an important amendment which would insert into the Adoption Bill the right of a same-sex couple who are married or who have entered a civil partnership to adopt on the same terms as a married opposite-sex couple.

On Committee Stage the Minister indicated some sympathy for the principle that same-sex couples should have adoption rights but expressed the view that this Bill was not the appropriate place. My concern and that of my colleague, Senator Norris, is that the civil partnership legislation as we have currently seen it in draft form does not provide for adoption rights for same-sex couples.

As the Minister indicated, same-sex couples are currently very engaged in the fostering of children and there is a great deal of support for that. There should be no objection in principle in same-sex couples having adoption rights. Whether that occurs with this Bill or the civil partnership Bill is not important for me but I hope the Minister will express support for inserting this principle into legislation of some form. I would like to hear the Minister of State's response on that.