Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

"Iris Oifigiúil" of 31st December, 2010.

I, DERMOT AHERN, Minister for Justice and Law Reform, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by subsections (2) and (3) of section 1 of the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010 (No. 24 of 2010), and after consulting with the Minister for Social Protection, hereby order as follows:

1. This Order may be cited as the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010 (Commencement) Order 2010.

2. In this Order "the Act" means the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010 (No. 24 of 2010).

3. (1) Subject to paragraph (2), the Act shall come into operation on the 1st day of January 2011.

(2) Section 5, and so much of the other provisions of the Act as are necessary for the purposes of giving effect to section 5, shall come into operation on the 23rd day of December 2010.

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

23 December 2010.

DERMOT AHERN,

Minister for Justice and Law Reform.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation).

This Order brings the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010 , except section 5, into operation on 1 January 2011. Section 5 is commenced by this Order on the date of its signing so that a separate Order can be made declaring certain classes of registered foreign relationship to be entitled to be recognised in the State as a civil partnership.