Nine Westmeath couples enter civil partnerships

Nine same sex couples from Westmeath have entered into civil partnerships since they were introduced in April of last year.According to recently released statistics from the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN), while nine Westmeath couples have obtained civil partnerships, 11 civil partnership ceremonies have taken place in the county between April 2011 and the end of September 2012.Nationally, 862 civil partnerships have taken place, with 528 gay couples taking the plunge and 334 lesbian couples. While civil partnership ceremonies have taken place in every county in Ireland, more than half of the couples (457) live in Dublin, and 60 couples live in Dublin 8.Of the 1,724 people that entered into civil partnerships in the last year and a half, more than 1000 are aged between 30 and 50; 14 were over 70 and 11 were between the ages of 18 and 20.According to Kieran Rose from GLEN, the figures show that civil partnerships have been a "resounding success", but added that civil marriage is the "next step" for same sex couples."These couples are the pioneers who are transforming the perception of lesbian and gay relationships all across the country," he said.Civil partners have the same rights and obligations as opposite-sex married couples in an extensive range of areas including tax, inheritance, next of kin, social welfare, immigration, pensions, home protection and have the same protections as married couples in employment and equality protections.