Constitutional Convention prepares for vote on same-sex marriage
The debate on whether to introduce same-sex marriage in Ireland will today be heard by the Constitutional Convention, ahead of a vote on whether to recommend changing the constitution.
Around 1,000 submissions have been received on the issue, and the meeting in the Grand Hotel in Malahide in Co Dublin will hear from representatives of churches, human rights groups, and members of the lesbian and gay communities.
The meeting will then vote tomorrow, before making a recommendation to the Houses of the Oireachtas.
In its submission, the Catholic Bishops Conference said that marriage is a "unique union" between a woman and a man, and they believe "it would be damaging to the common good" to "render same-sex unions equivalent to marriage".
However, the Director of the Irish Council of Civil Liberties Mark Kelly said that view is completely outdated.
"We already have civil partnership, this is simply another small incremental step," he said.
"And at the end of the day, this has got nothing to do with sexual orientation, and I find it surprising that the church are obsessed with that and with the gender question.
"This is about recognising the equal right of people in secure loving unions to ... legal protection."
