Pavee Point has welcomed the Government decision to abolish the exemption for underage marriages, making it mandatory that marriage can only take place if both parties are over the age of 18.
Martin Collins, co-director with the Traveller rights group, said they “wholeheartedly support” the decision.
As it stands, underage parties can get married if they have a Court Exemption Order.
Tánaiste Joan Burton and Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald announced that legislation to remove the underage exemption for marriages had been agreed at Cabinet on Tuesday.
The decision involves an amendment to the Civil Registration Act 2004, making marriage impossible if one party is under the age of 18.
The legislation will also repeal section 33 of the Family Law Act 1995, removing age as one of the criteria under which a party to a marriage can obtain an exemption.
“Children and young people have rights and the right to grow, develop and mature emotionally and mentally so that they can mature and make sense of the world in their own time,” he said.
“Far too many members of my community get married far too young so we support this,” he said.
Figures
According to CSO figures, 387 minors married at the age of 16 or 17 between 2004 and 2014. Of those 302 were girls and 85 were boys.
In several cases, both parties to a marriage were minors.
Mr Collins said underage marriage is more of an issue within the Roma community and that it needs to be addressed.
“The Roma community get married at an extremely young age. In Romania, Slovakia and Bulgaria, they get married at an extremely young age. Some get married as young as 13 or 14 which is outrageous,” he said.
Mr Collins called for the law to be implemented north and south of the Border.
“It won’t work unless there is consistency across the island of Ireland. It’s a waste of time having a law in this part of the jurisdiction that requires you must be 18 years of age to get married but that you can drive up the North in two hours and get married at 16 or 17,” he said.