(Dublin) An all party committee of the Irish Parliament is recommending legislation to permit civil partnerships similar to those in the UK but rejects the possibility of same-sex marriage.

The report will be presented to Prime Minister Bertie Ahern next week, ending a year of consultations with citizens groups across the country.

LGBT rights groups have been pressing the government to legalize gay relationships, but the report will advise Ahern that a move to allow same-sex marriage could lead to a national referendum that would prevent Parliament from any recognition of gay and lesbian couples.

Ahern, in India on a trade mission, said he is awaiting the report but said he agreed with what he has heard.

The Prime Minister said that a referendum would be socially divisive and Irish voters would probably reject same-sex marriages.

"There have been no opinion polls on it and I don't think they would (accept it)," he said of gay marriage.

Ahern said that gay couples deserve recognition under the law and that he specifically wants to address issues such as inheritance, pensions and insurance rights.

The gay rights groups have asked for partner rights but not specifically marriage, Ahern said.

"I would rather do the things that I think I can usefully do," he told reporters, adding that one day a future government may decide to move forward on the issue of marriage. "Perhaps on other days, people can do other things."

But gay rights group GLEN disputed Ahern's assertion that same-sex couples did not want his government to legalize gay marriage.

"We want full equality for same-sex couples and we believe that can be achieved within the current [Parliament]," GLEN's director of policy change Eoin Collins told the Irish Times.

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon06/01/012006ireland.htm

Looks like another possibility here of another country having more equality for gay couples than the U.S

Whilst it isnt 'marriage' per se, its definately better than nothing imho.

Regards,

Lee