Sir, – I am writing regarding same-sex couples with children in Ireland.
At present it is not possible for me and my wife to be named as parents on the birth certificates of our children due to legislation that still has not been put into place.
This is despite the fact that the same-sex marriage referendum took place and passed by an overwhelming majority in the summer of 2015.
My wife and I now have twin boys that are three months old and when we registered their birth only I, the biological mother was allowed to be entered onto their birth certificates. We are now experiencing a further issue as we are applying for Irish passports for our sons.
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The passport application form requires a section for the mother and the father to be filled out. When I went to the Garda station to say that there is no father but instead another mother, he said that I would need to get an affidavit signed from a solicitor which declares that I am the sole guardian of our children.
The Government is forcing us to provide false information and there is no way that I can supply the correct information until they sort out this bureaucratic mess. It is very upsetting for me and my wife to have to go to the trouble of organising a form that falsely states that I am the sole guardian of our children.
Unfortunately it looks highly likely that we will be forced down this route as we are booked for a trip to Australia at the end of this year to attend my sister’s wedding and visit family over there.
When will this issue be resolved? It’s already taken far too long. – Yours, etc,
EMILY KRAEMER,
Cork.