The cost to the public purse of a
new law permitting civil unions for same-sex couples would be
about 3.7 million euros in 2016, rising to six million euros in
2017, the finance ministry said in post on its Twitter feed
Thursday.
As well, the ministry said in its technical report that
making gay couples official would cost 22.7 million euros in
2025 due to "a reduced IRPEF personal income tax take due to
larger deductions, more family benefits, and more pension
benefits to same-sex partners".
Such a law is now before parliament after the European
Court of Human Rights complained earlier this week that Italy
should provide such legislation to protect the rights of gay
couples.
The Senate justice committee said it was waiting for more
information from the finance ministry as part of its review of
proposed legislation on civil unions.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said in a
radio interview that while the government wants to strengthen
human rights, he would draw the line at legislation allowing
same-sex couples to adopt children.
"We say 'yes' to the strengthening of individual rights but
we fear that this bill could be used to achieve the adoption of
children, to which we are opposed," said Alfano, head of the New
Centre Right (NCD) political party that is in a coalition
government with the center-left Democratic Party (PD).
He said he also doubts whether same-sex civil unions should
be seen as "the equivalent of marriage" in terms of all the
rights the traditional union involves.
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