The Second Stage Debate for the Civil Partnership Bill will take place on December 3rd at 6.45pm and is scheduled to take two hours.  There will be Committee and Report stages scheduled at a later date.  (This is where the opposition and sometimes government propose amendments to the Bill.)

Thursday night means a load of TD’s will have gone home early so there might be a load of welcome pairings for the uncomfortable.

December 3rd is the date of the next National Strike. I don’t know what impact that will have on access to the Public Gallery(and for the picket non passers amongst you!) but I will check out over the next few days. If you want to go watch the debate you can contact your local TD and try asking for a ticket in.  (Email list of TD’s is available here.)

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Family Solidarity are warning Catholic TD’s to vote ala Catholic and against the bill rather than ala carte.   They have a moral duty to do so it seems.

Ah Family Solidarity who spent much of the early 90’s being fascinated with men’s back passages  (anti sodomy group who published The Homosexual Challenge: Analysis and Response in 1990.)

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I’m not sure how I feel about the Civil Partnership Bill and the way it’s being referred to with respect to the Murphy Commission into child sexual abuse in the Dublin Diocese.

Ciaran Cuffe TD. yesterday said that

“The Catholic Church must question its whole approach to sexuality in the light of Judge Murphy’s Report.

“At a time when members of the Catholic Church hierarchy are actively campaigning against the Civil Partnership Bill being brought before the Dáil next week, there must be a pause for reflection within the Catholic Church, and a more concerted effort to protect the vulnerable.�

Let’s leave the lesbians and gays out of any mention regarding the horrendous crimes committed by priests and the mental reserved hierarchy I think. By even mentioning the Church you give them recognition of being involved in what is a civil matter and then there’s the whole matter of comparing church teaching on homosexuality and the matter of paedophilia and violence against children.

I’ve no doubt many people are delighted that the Church has been shown to be such a corrupt organisation and has no part to be involved in pronouncement on human rights and equality issues but it’s not sitting right  with me to bring it into this matter.

: analysis and response. Publisher Dublin : Family Solidarity, 1990. Description 64 p. ; 22 cm.