The Minister for Justice, Dermot Ahern, has again rejected calls for the inclusion in the Civil Partnership Bill of a conscience protection for civil registrars. 

In yesterday’s Dáil debate, Mr Ahern claimed that such an amendment would provide “a right to discriminate against a class of persons on the grounds of freedom of religion or conscience”. 

Echoing earlier statements by Government TDs, Mr Ahern went on to claim that a conscience amendment could result in “unintended consequences”, such as “a court clerk refusing to issue divorce orders; a science teacher refusing to teach about evolution; a fundamentalist Christian Garda refusing to arrest a husband who is breaching a safety order on the basis that he is entitled to chastise his wife”. 

Mr Ahern continued: “In addition, it would run completely contrary to policy to allow public servants to pick and choose in respect of the view of either the Oireachtas or the Executive regarding duties which must be carried out. 

“I cannot accept any amendments on that issue,” he added. 

Providing exemptions on freedom of conscience grounds in the supply of goods and services, he claimed “would roll back the very extensive equality legislation introduced by successive Governments and supported by the House in the past dozen years,” Mr Ahern went on. 

Referring to remarks made by Fine Gael TD Sean Barrett, in support of a conscience amendment tabled by former Lord Chancellor Lord Mackay in the House of Lords in respect of the Equalities Bill, he said that the amendment in question “was actually opposed in the House of Lords and was subsequently withdrawn by its proposer”.

However, withdrawal of the amendment by Lord Mackay was inevitable as he is not part of the Government and protections for religious believers are still being debated.