No space in Clare for same-sex civil partnership ceremonies

Same-sex couples in Clare cannot participate in an ­official civil partnership ceremony in a registry office in the county, it emerged this week.

The Mid-West Health Service Executive has received six enquires from Clare people who wish to engage in a civil partnership, three men and three women.
Three of these, two women and one man, have served notice of their intentions to the HSE since January.
However, Superintendent Registrar Geraldine McCarthy confirmed they cannot have this ceremony in a Clare registry office because the necessary space isn’t available, despite a number of unsuccessful attempts to secure another building.
Instead, same-sex couples have to make an application to have their ceremony conducted in a particular venue, which has to be subsequently assessed by HSE staff and must adhere to a standard set of criteria.
This process can be fast-tracked if staff have assessed a particular venue recently.
No list of approved venues for civil partnerships is available in the Mid-West or anywhere in the country because of the way national legislation is framed.
The criteria used to judge a venue include an absence of any religious connotations, the availability of disabled access, fire safety and a ­separate room for the registration with one table and at least six chairs in the event of a hearing to assess an objection. The ceremony can only be conducted by an approved HSE employee.
Three months’ notice has to be given for civil partnership registration involving same-sex partners and the whole process must be completed within six months. A person must be over 18 years and the ceremony must take place in a registry office or approved venue.
In total, 20 enquiries were made this year in the Mid-West, 10 male and 10 female.
Twelve couples have served their notice for registration and one civil partnership was registered on March 30 in the Registrar’s Office, Limerick. Six more will be registered in the region in May.