"A good day for equality."
The long-proposed Children and Family Relationships Bill officially passed both Houses of the Oireachtas on Tuesday afternoon.
Proposed amendments to the existing act originally introduced in 2015 were first cleared by the Dáil last week, and now the Seanad has followed suit before the summer recess takes place.
If introduced, the amendments would finally allow same-sex parents to register both their names on their child's birth certificate.
The amended bill would also ban anonymous sperm and egg donation in fertility treatment, and will allow children born via donor-assisted human reproduction access to their genetic heritage once they have turned 18 years of age.
Minister for Health Simon Harris introduced the amended bill before representatives of Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann on what he labelled as "a good day for equality."
Solidarity TD for Dublin West and Socialist Party member Ruth Coppinger praised the campaigners involved, noting that her fellow TDs will be pressing the issue further in September.
"[It is] important that outstanding issues affecting children of same-sex couples are addressed," Coppinger wrote on Twitter.
"This bill will give some comfort and relief to many families who have been affected by the failure to enact the previous legislation," commented Independent Senator Alice Mary Higgins.
"I hope that when the Assisted Human Reproduction bill comes through that there will be a real backwards link with this current bill," Higgins added.
Minister Harris, meanwhile, signalled his intentions for working on the Assisted Human Production Bill, calling it "the next big project" and acknowledging that there is "lots to do."
