Poland's president was criticised in the Dáil for his comments about the gay community, during a debate on Labour party legislation to give legal recognition and rights to same-sex couples.
Joan Burton (Lab, Dublin West) hit out at President Lech Kaczynski, who is on a three-day State visit to Ireland, for comments he made yesterday about the gay community at the National Forum on Europe.
Ms Burton said his "homophobic remarks" about gay people "and [ gay] culture being a threat to the survival of the human race", were disappointing. "I think it's a pity in the context of the contribution that gay people have made, not just to the culture and literature and music of his own country, Poland, but also in the face of efforts to eliminate gross and crass discrimination."
The public gallery was packed for the debate as the Civil Unions Bill was introduced by Labour's justice spokesman Brendan Howlin who described it as a "seminal equality issue".
Minister for Justice Michael McDowell described the legislation as unconstitutional in its existing form with serious strategic errors.
The Government amendment called for the Bill to be postponed for six months, and noted it would be "prudent to await the determination by the Supreme Court of an appeal now pending before that court on the issue of recognition by the State of same-sex marriages contracted in foreign jurisdictions".
Mr Howlin, however, accused the Minister of hypocrisy. The Labour Party's legal advice was that the Bill was constitutional, he insisted.
Jan O'Sullivan (Lab, Limerick East) decried the Minister's claim as "the biggest political fudge" and "dishonest" because the Government knew that the Civil Unions Bill would automatically fall after six months if postponed.
Mr Howlin said it was a "major step to equality for all our citizens". There were "many Irish citizens in stable long-term partnerships who are denied legal recognition, who are denied the protections and rights of loving couples simply because of their gender".
The Bill "does not alter or seek to alter the current constitutional understanding of marriage . . . In simple terms, it provides that in most respects, the rules of law that apply to marriage will apply also to civil unions".
It looks at "benefits and responsibilities of parties to a civil union. The essential purpose of it is to provide that parties to a civil union are entitled to the same rights, privileges and benefits and are subject to the same obligations" as those in a marriage.
Provisions included issues such as pre-nuptial agreements, the recognition of foreign civil unions, break-ups and other related matters. "In general the Bill applies the various aspects of existing family law to civil union relationships."
Mr McDowell said there was "no rush" to get the legislation through before the election. He insisted it was badly drafted and that "the Government is unequivocally in favour of treating gay and lesbian people as fully equal citizens in our society".
Jim O'Keeffe Fine Gael's justice spokesman accepted the Minister's point that the legislation should include similar rights for opposite-sex couples who are not married, but said this could be simply dealt with through an amendment at committee stage.
