Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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538. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality following the passing of the marriage equality referendum, if she will confirm the earliest date by which same-sex couples will have civil marriage available to them; and if a same-sex couple is registered for a civil partnership to take place in August, if the couple's partnership will be automatically transferred to a civil marriage, in the event that civil marriage is not available for same-sex couples until a later date. [21498/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Subject to the Constitution, I am prioritising the publication of the Marriage Bill 2015 with a view to its enactment before the summer recess and early commencement. My aim, if possible, is that all the necessary legal provisions to make civil marriage available to same-sex couples would be in place in August. The policy intention, made clear in the Heads of Bill published on 9 March, is that where a couple have made a notification or completed a civil partnership registration form for a date after commencement, they will be able instead to have that notification deemed to apply to a marriage, and they may complete a marriage registration form. This will not be an automatic process, but officials from the civil registration service will, in the coming weeks, be contacting couples to ensure they are aware of the option should they wish to avail of it.

Civil partnerships will not be automatically converted into civil marriages, because it is a change in status and cannot be imposed without the full, free and informed consent of the parties. Civil partnered couples who wish instead to marry may do so through the normal procedures applying to a civil marriage.