The Missing Pieces report published by the Irish organisation Marriage Equality has revealed that the Civil Partnership Bill has excluded the rights of children and the protection of the family home from the remit of its provisions.
The report found that there were 169 marked differences between the rights granted to same-sex couples than those granted to married couples. This means that same-sex couples registered as civil partners possess fewer rights, and have less protection than married couples in areas such as taxation, immigration and the family home.
The report also exposed differences in separation procedures for married couples and civil partners. Paula Fagan, the author of the report commented: "There's a lack of judicial separation for civil partners. The definition of separation for a married couple is broad enough to include a situation where partners remain living under the same roof but have separated."
The chairwoman of Marriage Equality, Grainne Healy, stated that it was imperative that people did not regard civil partnership as being the same as civil marriage. She commented "[t]he inequality must end. Civil marriage for same sex couples must be introduced. The time to legislate is now."
Click here to view a piece in the Irish Times on the report.
By way of comparison, last month the UK Equalities Minister announced that civil marriage will be legalised in England and Wales for same-sex couples by 2015, and the Scottish administration is currently undertaking a 14-week consultation on the issue - click here to read more.