Civil Partnership a Cross-Country Success as Every County Celebrates

By the end of September, 862 Civil Partnerships had already taken place. That’s an average
of two civil partnerships every day since they first became publicly available in April 2011.

So, where are there most lesbian and gay civil partners across the country?

• Dublin 8 is the most popular metropolitan area, with 60 couples from there having civil partnerships.
• Cork is the most popular area in Munster, with 30 couples living in Cork city and a further 46 living in Cork County.
• In Connaught, it’s Galway, with 12 couples living in Galway city and a further 17 couples in Galway county.
• After County Dublin, Co. Wicklow is the most popular in Leinster, with 31 couples from there having civil partnerships, and Ulsters’ Donegal is the most popular with 11 couples.

“Civil Partnerships are a resounding success. Over 1,700 lesbian and gay people have entered civil partnerships in Ireland since they became available little more than a year ago, in April 2011” said Kieran Rose, GLEN Chair.

These figures do not account for the many more hundreds of Irish citizens who were married or entered a civil partnership abroad whose marriages and civil partnerships are automatically recognised in Ireland as Civil Partnerships.

“In every county and every city across Ireland, lesbian and gay couples are celebrating their love and commitment in front of family, friends and communities. These couples are the pioneers who are transforming the perception of lesbian and gay relationships all across the country. By their public acts of love and commitment they are laying the foundations for further progress towards civil marriage for lesbian and gay couples” said Rose.

The Civil Partnership figures to the end of September, provided by the General Registrars Office show that:

• 862 couples entered civil partnership in Ireland to the end of September 2012
• 528 were male couples; 334 were female couples
• the 1,724 people entering an Irish Civil Partnership came from Ireland and from 60 other countries throughout the world, including the UK, Brazil, Australia, the Philippines, Poland and the United States.
• couples entering civil partnership live across every county in Ireland.
• people of all ages entered civil partnerships: most were aged between 41 and 50, followed by those aged between 31 and 40. 14 people were over 70 and 11 were under 20 years of age.

Civil Partners have the same rights and obligations as opposite-sex married couples in an extensive range of areas including tax, inheritance, next of kin, social welfare, immigration, pensions, home protection and have the same protections as married couples in employment and equality protections.

“Based on the success of civil partnerships, Ireland is rapidly evolving to supporting civil marriage as the next step for lesbian and gay couples.” said Rose.

“To move to marriage now and provide full Constitutional equality for lesbian and gay people is not a massive legislative leap; it is an incremental step building on the success of Civil Partnerships” concluded Rose.

Media Coverage

> Two Civil Partnership ceremonies conducted on average each day, Irish Times, 4 October 2012

> Two same-sex partnerships every day since law change, Irish Examiner, 4 October 2012

> In just 17 months, every county in Ireland has hosted a civil partnership ceremony, Irish Central, 4 October 2012

 Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN) is an Atlantic grantee.