A quick review of policy proposals by examining the manifestos of the  five main parties with regard to LGBT issues.

Fianna Fáil –  Nil

Fine Gael – No policy section on LGBT issues,

Party does not support civil marriage for same sex couples (checked via email)

Civil Partnership: We will amend tax law in a second Finance Act in 2011 to give effect to the rights for civil partners and cohabiting couples introduced in the Civil Partnership Act 2010.

Anti-bullying Policy: We will encourage schools to develop anti-bullying policies and in particular, strategies to combat homophobic bullying to support students.

Labour

LGBT rights

• Labour is committed to holding a referendum to provide for constitutional recognition of samesex marriage. Labour also supports entitling all parties to a marriage or civil partnership to apply to adopt a child, while ensuring that all adoption decisions must be made in the best long-term interests of the child. In the immediate term, Labour will enact provisions to extend the tax benefits of marriage to same sex couples in civil partnerships.
• Labour is committed to ensuring all publicly funded colleges operate in accordance with the constitutional right to Freedom of Conscience.
• Labour will ensure the five teaching colleges introduce a Freedom of Conscience clause so that trainee teachers no longer are obliged to undergo compulsory religious education.
• Labour will amend Section 37 of the Employment Equality Acts (1998) and (2004) to end discrimination against LGBT teachers and trainee teachers, and to ensure that there is no obstacle to schools tackling homophobic bullying.
• Labour will continue to fund Gay HIV Strategies.
• Labour will advance equality for trans-gender people by enacting gender recognition legislation, and by extending to them protections afforded by existing equality legislation.

Green Party

Same-sex couples

The Green Party will:

• In the event of the Supreme Court ruling against Zappone and Gilligan, seek to have the Constitution amended to permit civil same-sex marriage.

• Seek to further reform family law in Ireland to protect the welfare of children in a variety of families, including providing for the extension of legal guardianship to de facto parents.

• Ensure the continuation of the HSE-National Office of Suicide Prevention LGBT Mental Health Programme.

Sinn Féin

Legislation to permit and recognise same-sex marriage. Provide full and equal recognition of all civil partnerships in law.

A review of general equality and human rights proposals will follow shortly