And from today's Irish Times, in relation to the previous post...
PD POLICY ON CIVIL UNIONS
Madam, - Fintan O'Toole's comments on the Progressive Democrats' policy on civil unions are extremely disingenuous (Opinion, February 27th). He is wrong to suggest that deferring the Civil Unions Bill 2007 was an illiberal act.
The PDs were the first government party to make it their policy to introduce civil unions. In March 2005 an overwhelming majority of members passed a motion to introduce civil unions.
As a current court case on the constitutional status of civil partnerships is being appealed to the Supreme Court, it would be premature and irresponsible of the Oireachtas to pass new legislation in this area.
The Minister for Justice is quite right to ask for a postponement of the Labour bill until the current legal status is defined by the Supreme Court. It would be a mistake to act on civil unions before then. - Yours, etc,
JOHN KENNY,
Monkstown Valley,
Co Dublin.
Fintan O'Toole writes: The Zappone/Gilligan case before the Supreme Court deals with marriage for gay and lesbian couples. The Civil Unions Bill was explicitly framed to avoid the issue of such marriages altogether. The Supreme Court appeal is therefore irrelevant to the bill.
*****
Madam, - While I do not always agree with him, may I congratulate Fintan O'Toole for his column condemning the sheer gutlessness of Michael McDowell and the Regressive Undemocrats regarding last week's shunting of the Civil Unions Bill for gay and lesbian people?
I advise all voting citizens of this country to keep a note of this Government's failings, U-turns, broken promises and pure self-serving political cowardice from now until the election, and throw them all back in the Government parties' faces when they come grovelling at our doorsteps.
Perhaps the Minister would care to clearly explain on these pages his reasons for shooting down the Bill? - Yours, etc,
DECLAN CASHIN,
About Me
- Declan Cashin
- I'm 28, from Kilkenny originally and living in Dublin for the past six years. I graduated with an MA in Journalism from DIT in 2006. I work as a feature writer for the Irish Independent and the Irish Examiner. I worked in the Irish Daily Star for 18 months as a news and features subeditor, before going full-time freelance in January 2008. Over the years I've also reviewed books for The Irish Times, as well wording it up for Gay Community News (GCN), the Sunday Tribune, the Irish Daily Mail, The Event Guide, The Dubliner and The Spanner, as well as UCD Today and UCD Connections magazines. I'm occasionally known to pop up on The Last Word on Today FM and on various shows on NewsTalk 106-108FM, such as Tom Dunne, Lunchtime with Eamon Keane, The Right Hook, Culture Shock, and Weekend Blend, and have also made censors nervous on Spin, Phantom and RTE 2FM on Dave Fanning's show. I've made some inroads into TV, appearing on The Morning Show with Sybil and Martin, and Midday (pre-Sisterhood takeover), both on TV3. Watch out Tubridy! You can contact me at declan.cashin@gmail.com
1 comment:
Declan, your place in my heart as a hero of pithy commentary has now been cemented. Fair play to ya!
I sat in the public gallery on the Wednesday night - when the vote was taken - and I was sickened. The token numbskulls wheeled out to whine and filibuster on the Government's behalf were cringeworthy: Fiona O'Malley, in particular, was virtually incoherent.
Liz McManus and Catherine Murphy spoke brilliantly, sensibly and eloquently in favour of the Bill to the sparse Government stooges. Then the vote was announced and, as if by magic, the Government parties' unwashed emerged from the woodwork in vast numbers to toe the whips' line and cast their votes of shame. Couldn't they be bothered to sit in on this important debate? Were they too ashamed?
I'm mortified that I once thought the PDs were actually worth something. I can't wait for the PDs and Fianna Fail (no fada on the a) to come to my door looking for votes. My mild manner has been replaced by paint stripper. Bring it on! Labour gets my vote from now on. The cowards get my contempt.
Post a Comment