Rights groups welcome Commission’s Policy Statement on access to civil marriage

12 Feb 2015

Joint statement by the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL), Marriage Equality and the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN)

“The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL), Marriage Equality and the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN) warmly welcome the publication today (Thursday 12 February) of an Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) policy statement on access to civil marriage.

The Commission’s statement clearly and unambiguously identifies the opening out of civil marriage to two persons, without distinction as to their sex, as a matter of equality and human rights.

After reviewing human rights and equality standards and case-law from other countries, the Commission has made very clear that the Constitution currently does not provide full recognition for same-sex couples that would underpin wider equality for people in Irish society.

It further takes the view that the Government’s decision to hold a referendum on the matter is ’an important step’.

The ICCL, GLEN and Marriage Equality warmly welcome this most valuable contribution by the Commission, which places renewed focus on what the upcoming marriage equality referendum is really about: extending equality to all couples under the Irish Constitution.”

Statement ends

Contact:

Andrew Hyland, Marriage Equality, 087 908 8322

Walter Jayawardene, ICCL, 087 9981574

Brian Sheehan, GLEN, 086 233 0417

NOTES

- A policy statement on access to civil marriage was published today, 12 February 2015, by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC), the State’s independent statutory human rights and equality body.

- The policy statement welcomes the proposed referendum; asserts the belief that the opening out of civil marriage to two persons, without distinction as to their sex, is a matter of equality and human rights and states that “to promote access to civil marriage and to enhance full protection of family life for all couples, without distinction as to their sex, the referendum is an important step”.

- The IHREC policy statement can be found at http://www.ihrec.ie/news/2015/02/12/ihrec-publishes-policy-statement-on-access-to-civi/