DUBLIN CITY COUNCILLORS are to vote tomorrow night on a motion which would see the council become the latest to call for full marriage equality for same-sex couples.
A motion on the agenda for tomorrow night’s meeting, if approved, would see the Council support “the same rights and entitlements to civil marriages for all citizens of Dublin regardless of race, religion or sexuality”.
Identically-worded motions have been tabled by the council’s Sinn Féin and Labour groupings.
Sinn Féin’s Larry O’Toole called on the 52-member council to support the motion unanimously.
“Marriage equality for all should have the full support of Dublin City Council in recognition of the equal rights of all citizens,” he said.
“Same-sex couples in particular are discriminated against under the present legislation – the time for change is now.”
The motion follows the unanimous approval of a similar motion by Cork City Council in its July meeting – a move which saw Cork become the first local authority to formally support full marriage for same-sex couples. Sinn Féin also tabled that motion.
A Labour councillor told TheJournal.ie, however, that he had been told that the motion could be defeated at tomorrow’s meeting.
Labour and Fine Gael control the council, accounting for 31 of its 52 members. Labour party policy supports full marriage for same-sex couples, while Fine Gael’s last party conference voted to refer the matter to the Constitutional Convention.
A Dáil motion approved in July formally added same-sex marriage to the list of topics to be discussed by the convention whenever it begins its sittings.
Several cabinet ministers, including Eamon Gilmore, Alan Shatter and Leo Varadkar, have all previously spoken of their support for gay marriage.
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