Katherine Zappone (Independent)

I strongly support the legislation and thank Senator Bacik for introducing it and outlining its provisions with her usual and welcome energy and eloquence. She has also done important research. I will make three brief points. Having welcomed the Bill and acknowledged its importance, this is a moment for recognising the importance of ceremony and ritual to people who experience life outside a religious context but follow a philosophy of life which engages ethical principles. As we move towards accepting the Bill, we are becoming more inclusive in the way Senator O'Keeffe argued in seconding the Bill. As other speakers, including the Minister, have acknowledged, the Humanist Association of Ireland and those associated with it have demonstrated very well that the word "non-religious" does not mean "non-ethical".

As we are debating an amendment to the Civil Registration Act, I wish to highlight section 59E of the Act, under which religious bodies or associations are prevented from holding civil partnerships in their venues, even in cases where they may wish to do so. I refer to the express wish of the Unitarian Church on St. Stephen's Green and members of the Quaker religion who wish to recognise and solemnise civil partnerships. Section 59E was inserted in the Civil Registration Act by section 16 of the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010. In light of this debate and the correct and proper decision to extend rights to the Humanist Association of Ireland, why does it remain the case that religious organisations which wish to celebrate civil partnerships are prevented from doing so? I acknowledge that my colleague, Senator Norris, raised these issues during the debate on the civil partnership legislation. Does discussion of the Bill provide us with an opportunity to amend the Civil Registration Act in this regard? At the start of this month, the United Kingdom Government announced that religious bodies in the UK which wish to perform civil partnership ceremonies in their venues will soon be permitted to do so.

I remind Senators that the introduction of the Civil Registration Act in 2004 marked the first time marriage was defined in statute as being between a man and woman. In light of the Minister's comments, I was interested to note that a widespread consultation process took place before the Civil Registration Act was implemented. How many times during the consultation process were calls made to define marriage in statute as being between a man and woman?