Madam, - Brendan Howlin should be strongly congratulated for bringing forward the Civil Unions Bill 2006. The proposed legislation was extremely progressive and would have benefited hundreds of same-sex couples.
In December 2005 Michael McDowell indicated that he supported gay adoption. In April 2006 Bertie Ahern said the Government was "unequivocally in favour of treating gay and lesbian people as fully equal citizens in our society".
The way the Government parties blocked the bill is shameful. After this vote we can see that the placatory words from the Taoiseach and Tánaiste were hollow. - Yours, etc,
IAN McGAHON, Herbert Road, Bray, Co Wicklow.
A Chara, - The Government's decision to vote down a Labour Party Bill to introduce civil unions is inexplicable, indefensible and unbelievably insensitive in its timing. Those responsible should be ashamed.
Over the past 18 months, a series of Government-commissioned reports have confirmed the urgent need to give legal recognition to partnerships other than heterosexual marriage. Given sympathetic statements from the Taoiseach, the way seemed to be clear for a well-choreographed introduction of legislation on these lines.
Most helpful of all, being browbeaten by independent commissions and authorities to accept a Bill put forward by opposition liberals was a handy - if cowardly - way to help distance the well-represented conservative wing of the Government from this distasteful matter before anyone had to go knocking on doors.
How appalling, then, that in the same week when we hosted the most openly homophobic head of state in Europe, rather than following the rest of the continent in removing the last barriers to equality for gay people we have chosen to row in behind the Polish president's bigoted bile instead; and something that could have been easily neutralised as an election issue has just turned into yet another reason to put Labour into government after June. - Is mise,
DAVID CARROLL, Castle Gate, Dublin 2.