Attorney General to look at lesbian custody ruling

THE ATTORNEY General's office will examine the High Court judgment in a case involving the custody of the child of a lesbian couple and a biological couple, the Dáil has been told.

Tánaiste Brian Cowen said it had been reported that there might be an appeal to the Supreme Court on the issue, and it had to be examined by the relevant departments.

Labour leader Eamon Gilmore, who raised the matter, pointed out that the judge in the case had "criticised legislators for failing to deal with the rights of same sex couples". He also said the Government had in March last year postponed a Labour Party Bill to legislate for civil unions and when the party sought in October to have it re-introduced, "the Government told us that the heads of a Government Bill would be published by the end of March 2008", but it had not appeared.

Mr Cowen replied that the scheme had been circulated among departments for their observations and proposals "will be brought to Government shortly".

Fine Gael spokesman on children Alan Shatter claimed the Government had "abdicated its responsibility" in the area of rights when children are born through techniques such as egg and sperm donation, because it was "paralysed by fear".

Mr Cowen said it was "not a question of being paralysed by fear but of treading very carefully where there are very serious ethical considerations".