Gay and lesbian couples will have legal recognition of their relationships within a year, according to the Minister for Justice.

But the Government will not allow marriage or adoption for same-sex couples under the proposed laws.

Government ministers approved the heads of the Civil Partnership Bill yesterday.

The bill sets out a statutory basis for gay and lesbian couples to register their relationships.

It will give them legal rights in relation to sharing their home, pensions and taxation.

Couples who are aged over 18 years and who provide three months' notice will be able to register their partnership.

Agreement between both partners -- or court intervention -- will be required to end the partnership.

Civil partnership will not be available to couples of the opposite sex.

Compensation

However, the bill provides separate cohabiting rights for these relationships, including a redress scheme where one partner can take the other to court to seek compensation in the event of a break-up.

This only applies to couples who have been living together for three years, or two years in the case of those with children.

Justice Minister Dermot Ahern said civil partnership will be different to marriage.

He said marriage could not be included in the bill as it would be contrary to article 41 of the Constitution, thereby requiring a referendum.

Mr Ahern said the Government is going as far as it can without affecting the Constitution.

But Senator David Norris believes the bill does not go far enough. He described it as a "mean-minded, begrudging, minimal proposal".

"I certainly won't be accepting it," the gay rights campaigner said.

Gay representative group, GLEN, welcomed the bill but called for increased parenting rights for homosexual couples.

Group spokesman Kieran Rose said the move is "a major milestone towards equality".

Mr Rose said the provisions "will resolve many immediate and pressing issues faced by lesbian and gay couples and will also provide a platform for further progress".

But he added that the proposals do not provide for legal recognition of the many same-sex couples who are parenting children, leaving them outside the protection of the State.

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties welcomed the bill.

However, director Mark Kelly said only the introduction of civil marriage for same-sex couples "will achieve full equality of status with opposite-sex couples".