Amendment to Council of Europe report into sexual orientation has implications for Civil Partnership Bill – Senator Mullen

News Release

 

30th April, 2010 

 

Amendment to Council of Europe report into sexual orientation has implications for Civil Partnership Bill – Senator Mullen

 

Independent NUI Senator Rónán Mullen and colleagues in the EPP (European People’s Party) and ALDE (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe) scored a key victory yesterday evening when an amendment was passed safeguarding freedom of conscience in a radical report on sexual orientation and gender identity.

 

The EPP sponsored amendment, supported by both Rónán Mullen EPP and Terry Leyden of ALDE, widened the freedom of conscience clause protecting religious institutions from “only when such institutions and organisations are engaging in religious activities” to “when such institutions and organisations are either engaging in religious activities or when legal requirements conflict with tenets of religious beliefs and doctrine, or would require such religious  institution and organisations to forfeit any portion of their religious autonomy.”

 

Senator Mullen stated: “This amendment indicates that the Irish Government has no excuse for not exempting religious institutions from being prosecuted under the Civil Partnership Bill. Religious institutions should be free to protect their ethos by refusing to facilitate ceremonies which openly contradict their own religious teachings. I am writing to Minister Ahern on this matter to urge him to reconsider his position, especially in light of developments at the Council of Europe.”

 

Speaking on behalf of the EPP Senator Mullen also proposed that in relation to migrants’ rights “better cooperation is needed between the individual member states as this issue is necessarily trans-European - involving countries of origin, transit and destination. This is especially true in matters pertaining to human trafficking which involves criminal networks across many member states. It would be a wonderful development in human rights protection if member states could act with procedural and humanitarian unity in welcoming genuine asylum seekers who are fleeing from human rights abuses in their countries of origin. Harmonisation of approaches would provide greater clarity to asylum seekers and could potentially lead to a more even and efficient response by member states in accommodating asylum seekers. With this in mind I support the report’s call for the inclusion of a right to apply for asylum in the European Convention of Human Rights.”