The focus of the National Economic and Social Forum was to identify the principal barriers to the implementation of the recommendations of the Equality Authority's report on lesbians, gays and bisexuals.
The project team included representatives of the community and voluntary sector organisations, employer and trade union interests, as well as representatives from the Departments of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, the Equality Authority and the local authorities. Partnership rights for same-sex couples were identified as the issue which faced the most substantial barriers to implementation.
Recommendations
- Civil recognition of same-sex partnerships, which would include:
- The right to name a beneficiary of pensions and inheritance
- To designate a next-of-kin for medical reasons
- To nominate a gay partner as co-parent or guardian of a child
- To give a non-EU partner of an Irish person the right to live and work in Ireland