Article on partnership in Lá

Yoda

The following article was published in the Irish-language daily Lá on 2003-10-31. It's an important article, and on-topic for this thread. Dust off your Irish if you haven't used it in a while.... or ignore the posting if you can't or won't, but please don't just gripe about the language it's been written in. Deaglán Ó Caoimh works for the Equality Authority.

An dtabharfar cothrom na Féinne do lánúineacha aeracha na hÉireann?

Le Deaglán Ó Caoimh

Is léir nach bhfuil cothrom na Féinne in Éirinn fós ag lánúineacha homaighnéasacha (nó ag lánúineacha aeracha agus leispiacha mar is fearr le Gaeilgeoirí homaighnéasacha a rá). Mar sin féin, tá dul-chun-cinn suntasach déanta ar shlite áirithe.

Cuir i gcás, le fíor-dhéanaí d'éirigh leis an Údarás Comhionannais an bua a fháil i gcás ina raibh leatrom á dhéanamh ag an Roinn Gnóthaí Sóisialacha agus Teaghlaigh ar lánúin aerach. Faoin gcóras leasa shóisialaigh, thugtaí pas saorthaistil d'fhear os cionn 66 bliana d'aois agus dá bhean chéile, is cuma dá mbeadh an bhean faoi bhun 66 bliana d'aois agus is cuma dá mbeadh siad pósta nó nach mbeadh. Ar an dul céanna thugtaí pas saorthaistil do bhean a bhí os cionn 66 bliana d'aois agus dá fear céile, is cuma dá mbeadh an fear faoi bhun 66 bliana d'aois agus is cuma dá mbeadh siad pósta nó nach mbeadh. Ach níor tugadh an áis sin do lánúineacha homaighnéasacha. Ar 25 Meán Fómhair 2003, áfach, fógraíodh go raibh an Roinn Gnóthaí Sóisialacha agus Teaghlaigh chun pas saorthaistil a thabhairt do lánúin homaighnéasach i gcás den tsaghas seo.

Cé nach gá in aon chor, de reir dlí, go ndéanfar amhlaidh san iliomad cásanna eile ina ndeintear leatrom ar lánúineacha homaighnéasacha (mar de ghnáth bíonn bonn reachtúil leis an leatrom atá i gceist), is follas gur tús maith é cás seo an phais shaorthaistil. Tá an brú chun athraithe ag teacht ó fhoinsí éagsúla, dar ndóigh.

Ar 25 Meitheamh 2003, d'fhoilsigh an Fóram Náisiúnta Eacnamaíoch agus Sóisialach tuarascáil ar roinnt nithe tábhachtacha is gá a dhéanamh chun cromadh ar an gcomhionannas a chur i bhfeidhm do dhaoine aeracha, leispiacha agus déghnéasacha.

Foilsíodh tuarascáil chuimsitheach faoin ngnó seo ar 22 Bealtaine 2002 agus b'é an tÚdarás Comhionannais a d'eisigh an tuarascáil anuraidh.

Ar an gcéad dul síos, léirigh tuarascáil an Údaráis Chomhionnais an leatrom atá á fhulaingt le fada ag daoine aeracha, leispiacha agus déghnéasacha in Éirinn. Cuir i gcás, i réimse na gCearta Páirtíochta ní thugtar aon aitheantas do lánúineacha aeracha ná leispiacha agus dá bhrí sin níl cothrom na féinne acu in aon chor ó thaobh cearta cánach, cearta pinsin, cearta oidhreachta, cearta sláinte, cearta leasa shóisialaigh, cearta uchtála, cearta comh-thuismitheoireachta agus mar sin de.

Dhein tuarascáil an Údaráis Chomhionannais a lán moltaí praiticiúla chun dul i ngleic leis na dúshláin a luadh. Moladh go sonrach go mba chóir don Rialtas é a chur ar chumas na lánúineacha homaighnéasacha páirtí nó pairtnéir a ainmniú chun deimhin a dhéanamh de go n-aithneofaí lánúineacha homaighnéasacha ar chomhchéim le lánúineacha pósta heitrighnéasacha. Bhainfeadh an pobal aerach agus leispiach tairbhe as seo ó thaobh cúrsaí cánach, cúrsaí oidhreachta, cúrsaí pinsin, cúrsaí sláinte, cúrsaí leasa shóisialaigh, cúrsaí comh-thuismitheoireachta agus mar sin de.

Mar a luaitear thuas, ar 25 Meitheamh 2003, sheol an Fóram Náisiúnta Eacnamaíoch agus Sóisialach tuarascáil dá chuid féin ar an gcúram. Ar cheann de na moltaí a bhí nuálach go leor sa tuarascáil sin, moladh go mba chóir don Choimisiún um Athchóiriú an Dlí na féidearthachtaí ó thaobh comhionannas le lánúineacha heitrighnéasacha a thabhairt do lánúineacha homaighnéasacha a chur san áireamh agus a chuid athbhreithnithe á dhéanamh aige ar dhliteanais na heitrighnéasach a bhíonn ag maireachtáil le chéile ach nach mbíonn pósta.

Ní fios fós cén dearcadh a bheidh ag an Rialtas ar an gceist seo. Tá eagla ar roinnt daoine aeracha, áfach, gur beartas cúng coiméadach a bheidh ag dhá pháirtí an Chomhrialtais reatha i dtaca le cearta páirtíochta a thabhairt do lánúineacha aeracha agus leispiacha.

Ar aon chuma, tá seans ann ar a laghad nach mbeidh an dara rogha ag Rialtas na hÉireann ach pé saoráidí a thabharfar do lánúineacha heitrighnéasacha nach mbíonn pósta ach a bhíonn ina gcónaí le chéile a thabhairt freisin do lánúineacha aeracha agus leispiacha a chónaíonn le chéile. Is cosúil go bhfuil an méid sin le léamh as an gcinneadh a dhein an Chúirt Eorpach um Chearta Daonna ar 24 Iúil 2003 i gcás ón Ostair inár measadh go raibh sé mídhleathach páirtí fir aeraigh a chaitheamh amach as árasán nuair a cailleadh an fear eile (bhí an léas ar an árasán sin in ainm an fhir a fuair bás agus bhí an bheirt fhear sin ina gcónaí le chéile san árasán ar feadh na mblianta sular cailleadh duine acu).

Pé scéal é, tá an Seanadóir David Norris ag obair go dian dícheallach i láthair na huaire ar Bhille chun aitheantas dlíthiúil a chur ar fáil do lánúineacha aeracha agus leispiacha. Thairis sin, is é dóchas an phobail aeraigh agus leispiaigh ná go mbeidh toradh fónta ar an saothar dúthrachtach seo agus go dtiocfaidh freagra dearfach ó bhinsí an Rialtais ar an tionscaint seo in Oireachtas na hÉireann.

yellum

Yoda, any chance of a translation or at least a summary as bearla ? I'm an ignorant **** too lazy to learn my mother tongue.

De Rebel

Yoda, I'm struggling with this. I'm translating the words, and the sense is falling into the gaps. You win. You can comprehend it, us “native” speakers are shown up.

Do a good deed for the day, give us an interpretation. You’d never know, I might be in a position to repay, next time I’m shopping in east cork……

Yoda

De Rebel, Yellum, I'll give a quick and inelegant and probably over-literal translation. I am a polyglot, but I am not a professional translator. Improve your Irish! Compare the two texts. Translation started at 21:40, finished at .....

Will equality be given to Ireland's gay partners?

By Deaglán Ó Caoimh

It is clear that homosexual partners (or gay and lesbian partners as Irish-speaking homosexuals prefer to say) do not have equality in Ireland yet. Nevertheless, noteworthy progress has been made in certain ways.

For example, very recently the Equality Authority succeeded to win in a case in which discrimination was done by the Department of Social and Family Affairs to a gay partner. Under the social system, a free travel pass is given to a man over 66 years and to his wife, even if the woman is under 66 years of age and whether or not they are married. Similarly, a free travel pass is given to a woman over 66 years of age whether she is married or not. But this convenience was not given to homosexual partners. On 25 September 2003, however, it was announced that the Department of Social and Family Affairs was to give free travel passes to homosexual partners in cases of this kind.

Even if not at all required, according to law, that such be done in the great number of other cases in which discrimination is done against homosexual partners (since usually there is a statutory basis regarding the discrimination in question), it is evident that this free-travel pass case is a good beginning. The pressure for change is coming from different sources, of course.

On 25 June 2003, the National Economic and Social Forum published a report on a number of important things which have to be done in order to get down to doing something about implementing equality to gay, lesbian, and bisexual people.

A comprehensive report was published on this topic on 22 May 2002 and it was the Equality Authority who updated the report last year.

In the first instance, the Equality Authority's report showed the discrimination which has been suffered for a long time by gay, lesbian, and bisexuals in Ireland. For instance, in the field of Partnership Rights no recognition is given to gay or lesbian partners and therefore they have no equality at all regarding tax rights, pension rights, inheritance rights, health rights, social benefit rights, adoption rights, co-parenting rights and so on.

The Equality Authority report made a lot of practical recommendations to grapple with the challenges that were raised. It recommended in particular that it would be right for the Government to make possible to homosexual cohabitants to name a party or partner in order to make certain that homosexual cohabitants would be recognized on equal footing with married heterosexual cohabitants. Gay and lesbian people will benefit from this with regard to tax matters, inheritance matters, pension matters, health matters, social benefit matters, co-parenting matters and so on.

As mentioned above, on 25 June 2003, the National Economic and Social Forum launched a report of its own on the matter. Chief of the recommendations which were rather innovative in that report, it was recommended that it would be appropriate for the Commission on Law Reform to take into account the feasibility in terms of making equality with heterosexual partners of available to homosexual partners while they are reviewing the rights of heterosexuals who are living together even though they are not married.

No one knows yet what view the Government will take on this question. Some gay people fear, however, that the two parties of the current Coalition will have a narrow, conservative policy as regards to giving partnership rights to gay and lesbian partners.

At any rate, there is a chance at least that the Irish Government will have no option but to give whatever freedoms to heterosexual partners who are not married but who are living together also to gay and lesbian partners who are living together. It appears that this much can be read out of the findins made by the European Court of Human Rights on 24 July 2003 in the Austrian case in which it was judged that it was illegal to evict a gay male partner from his flat when the other man died (the lease on the flat was in the name of the man who died and the two men were living together in the flat for years before one of them was lost).

Anyhow, Senator David Norris is working intensely and diligently at present on a Bill which will make available legal recognition to gay and lesbian partners. Beyond this, it is the hope of the gay and lesbian community that useful fruit will avail of this earnest work and that a definitive answer will come from the benches of the Government on this matter in Oireachtas na hÉireann.

yellum

This is probably relevant too:

Got this from the GayCork website.

http://www.gaycork.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1084

Yoda

The following article was published in the Irish-language daily Lá on 2003-11-19.

Leatrom ar Éireannaigh aeracha faoi scrúdú ag Parlaimint na hEorpa

Le Deaglán Ó Caoimh

Níos túisce an mhí seo, thug Príomhoifigeach Feidhmiúcháin an Údaráis Chomhionannais, Niall Crowley, óráid thábhachtach ag Cruinniú ar 11 Mí na Samhna de Choiste Pharlaimint na hEorpa atá ag scrúdú an leatroim ar dhaoine aeracha, leispiacha agus déghnéasacha i bhfianaise Threoir nua an Aontais Eorpaigh ar an gComhionannas, Treoir Chreatlaí na Fostaíochta.

Ar an gcéad dul síos, tharraing an tUasal Crowley aird an Choiste ar an dul-chun-cinn atá déanta le blianta beaga anuas de bharr na reachtaíochta comhionannais in Éirinn. Thagair se freisin do na dúshláin atá fós le tabhairt chun an comhionannas a bhaint amach do dhaoine aeracha, leispiacha agus déghnéasacha. Shonraigh sé na dúshláin seo a leanas:

• Ní chuireann móran daoine aeracha isteach ar phoist áirithe toisc gur earnálacha frithhomaighnéasacha a mheastar a bheith i gceist.

• Ní bhaineann roinnt daoine aeracha leas iomlán as an oideachas de dheasca an chiaptha a dheintear orthu sna scoileanna agus de thoradh an imeallaithe a dheintear orthu sa chóras sin.

• Ní bhíonn sé ar chumas na n-eagraíochtaí aeracha ionadaíocht cheart a dhéanamh don phobal aerach toisc maoiniú a bheith gann.

• Ní bhíonn stádas ceart ag an bpobal aerach i saol na hÉireann toisc nach n-aithníonn ár ndlí lánúineacha aeracha in aon chor ó thaobh cearta cánach, oidhreachta agus mar sin de, toisc go gcuirtear brú go minic ar dhaoine aeracha a gcuid gnéasachta a cheilt agus toisc go ndeintear leatrom orthu ar an iliomad bealaí, cuir i gcás, bíonn deacrachtaí ar leith ag lánúineacha homaighnéasacha i dtaca le hárachas morgáiste a fháil.

• Cuirtear as don fhéinmheas agus don fheinmhuinín ag daoine aeracha toisc go mbíonn naimhdeas agus fuath ag roinnt mhaith daoine heitrighnéasacha orthu agus toisc go ndeintear drochíde agus ciapadh orthu sna sráideanna, ar scoil, sa láthair oibre agus sabhaile.

Dhearbhaigh sé go gcabhródh an Treoir Chreatlaí leis an gcomhionannas a chur chun cinn do dhaoine aeracha agus leispiacha ar shlite áirithe. Luaigh sé go mórmhór foráil na Treorach faoina gceadófar gníomhaíocht dhearfach i gcúrsaí fostaíochta ar chúis an treoshuímh ghnéis nó an ghnéaschlaonta. Ní leor an chabhair í, ar roinnt slite, áfach.

Ar cheann de na nithe is tábhachtaí a bheadh fós le déanamh ná go mba chóir leasú a dhéanamh ar an gcuid sin de mhír 37 an Achta um Chomhionannas Fostaíochta a mheastar a thugann saoirse áirithe i dtaca le hidirdhealú in aghaidh múinteoirí homaighnéasacha a dhéanfadh scoileanna agus forais eile a bhíonn á reáchtáil ag Eaglaisí. Faoi réir na míre 37(1), is ceadmhach idirdhealú áirithe a bheith déanta ag foras creidimh, oideachais nó leighis atá á reáchtáil ag comhlacht a bunaíodh chun críche creidimh nó a n-áirítear ar a gcuspóirí seirbhísí a sholáthar i dtimpeallacht a chothaíonn luachanna áirithe creidimh. Baineann an eisceacht nó an díolúine seo le cás ina ndéileálann an foras sin le fostaí ar bhealach níos fabhraí ar chúis an chreidimh d'fhonn aetas creidimh an fhorais a chothú nó le cás ina ndeineann an foras sin aon bheart is gá le réasún chun cosc a chur ar fhostaí an bonn a bhaint ó aetas creidimh an fhorais.

Thairis sin, mhol Príomhoifigeach an Údaráis go mba cheart don Rialtas an sainmhíniú de cad is teaghlach ann faoi mhír 2(1) an Achta um Chomhionannas Fostaíochta a leasú chun lánúineacha aeracha agus leispiacha a aithint. Chuirfeadh sé sin deireadh leis an saoirse ata ag fostóirí i láthair na huaire idirdhealú a dhéanamh in aghaidh na lánúineacha aeracha i gcomparáid le láúineacha pósta ó thaobh na sochar pinsin agus ó thaobh na sochar eile a thugann fostóir do chéile pósta oibrí.

Ina theannta sin, dúirt sé gur cruthú ar an dea-chleachtas i réimse na fostaíochta é an t-ionad oibre ina mbíonn oibrithe aeracha, leispiacha agus déghnéasacha sásta bheith oscailte faoina gcuid gnéasachta agus ina mbíonn na fostóirí agus na ceardchumainn toilteanach beartais chomhionannais a shaothrú agus a chur i bhfeidhm chun fadhbanna na n-oibrithe sin a réiteach, agus go háirithe chun dul i ngleic leis an imeallú, leis an gciapadh agus leis an leatrom a dheintear uaireanta ar oibrithe homaighnéasacha.

Maidir leis an Acht um Stádas Comhionann, thagair sé don díolúine i mír 14 den Acht ina sonraítear nach gcuireann an tAcht toirmeasc ar aon ghníomh is gá faoi réir reachta eile. D'áitigh se gur údar mór fadhbanna í an díolúine sin do lánúineacha aeracha a ndeintear leatrom orthu, go háirithe ón uair go ndeintear léamh teoranta i ndlí na hÉireann ar cad is "teaghlach" nó "céile" ann.

Luaigh sé freisin go raibh sé ríthábhachtach go ndéanfadh an córas oideachais a sheacht ndícheall chun deireadh a chur leis an gciapadh a dheintear ar scoláirí homaighnéasacha agus chun an scoil uileghabhálach a bhaint amach. Ní foláir do na scoileanna riachtanais na scoláirí aeracha agus leispiacha a chur san áireamh ina gcuid pleananna forbartha scoile, ina gcuid measúnachtaí scoile, ina gcuid cód iompair agus ina gcuid beartas cead isteach.

Yoda

Another ad hoc translation.

Discrimination of Irish gays examined by the European Parliament

By Deaglán Ó Caoimh

Earlier this month, the Chief Executive Officer of the Equality Authority, Niall Crowley, gave an important speech at the Meeting on 11 November of the European Parliament Committee which is examining discrimination of gay, lesbian, and bisexual people in evidence of the new Directive to Equality of the European Union, the Employment Framework Directive.

In the first instance, Mr Crowley drew the attention of the Committee to the progress which has been made over the last few years because of equality legislation in Ireland. He also referred to the challenges which are still to be met to make equality available to gay, lesbian, and bisexual people. He specified these challenges thus:

• Many gay people don't apply for certain posts because of anti-homosexual divisions which are assumed to be in question.

• Some gay people don't benefit entirely from education because of the harrassment which is done to them in the schools and resulting from the marginalization which is done to them in that system.

• It is not possible for gay organizations to make proper representation of gay people because (financial) support is scarce.

• Gay people in Ireland do not have proper status because the law does not recognize gay partners at all with regard to tax rights, inheritance rights, and so on, because pressure is often put on gay people to hide their sexuality and because they are discriminated against in many ways, for instance, there are particular difficulties for homosexual partners as regards getting mortgage insurance.

• Gay people are deprived of self-respect and self-reliance because a good number of heterosexual people have hostility and hatred for them and because abuse and harrassment is done to them in the streets, in the workplace, and security.

He affirmed that the Framework Directive would help to progress equality for gay and lesbian people in particular ways. He mentioned considerably the provision of the Directive in which positive activity is permitted in matters of employment because of the sexual orientation or sexual preference. This assistance is not sufficient, in some regards, however.

One of the most important things which remains to be done is that it would be appropriate to make an amendment of the part of Article 37 of the Act on Employment Equality which is believed to give certain freedoms as regards particular discrimination against homosexual teachers which is done by schools and other institutions which are governed by Churches.

According to the provisions of article 37(1), it is permissable for institutions of faith, education, or health which are run by companies which are based on limits of belief or which are specified on their objectives of services in an environment which protects certain values of belief to make certain discriminations. This exception or exemption belongs to a case in which that institution deals with an employee in a way more favourable to the cause of the belief in order to preserve the ethos of belief of the institution or in the case in which that institution makes any action it is necessary with reason to restrain an employee from undercutting the ethic of belief of the institution.

Moreover, the Chief Executive Officer of the Authority recommended that it would be right for the Government to revise the definition of what a family is under article 2(1) of the Employment Equality Act in order to recognize gay and lesbian partners. This would put an end to the freedom that employers have at present to discriminate against gay partners in comparison with married partners with regard to pension benefits and with regard to other benefits which an employer gives to the married spouses of workers.

Along with that, he said that the creation of good practice in the realm of employment would be found in the workplace in which gay, lesbian, and bisexual workers were happy to be open about their sexuality and in which the employers and the voluntary unions were to cultivate and implement equality policies to solve problems of the workers, and in particular to grapple with marginalization, with harrassment, and with the discrimination which is sometimes done to homosexual workers.

With regard to the Equal Status Act, he referred to the exemption in article 14 of the Act in which it is specified that the Act does not forbid any act which is necessary governed by other laws. He submitted that that exemption is a great author of problems to gay partners who are discriminated against, especially since Irish law gives a limited reading on what "family" and "spouse" is.

He also mentioned that it was very imporant that the education system would do its very best to put an end to the harrassment that is done to homosexual pupils and to achieve the comprehensive school. It is necessary for schools to take the needs of gay and lesbian pupils into consideration in their school development plans, in their school assessments, in their codes of behaviour, and in their admission policies.