IRISH VOTERS ON SSM: From the Sunday Independent

A LARGE minority of voters in Ireland--almost 40 per cent--are in favour of gay marriages being allowed in this country, according to a Sunday Independent/ Millward Brown IMS opinion poll.

But there is still staunch opposition to such a move, with 50 per cent of all voters opposed to the idea of same-sex couples getting marriage rights in this country.

Yesterday, the Minister for Justice Michael McDowell threw his weight behind the idea of "legal recognition" as Catholic bishops spoke of the need for "just treatment", "consideration" and "respect" for gay couples.

A surprisingly high 39 per cent of those questioned were in favour of the suggestion that same-sex couples should be legally allowed to marry in Ireland. 50 per cent were opposed to the idea and 11 per cent undecided. Voters were questioned days after Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said he wanted gay couples in established relationships to have more equal legal rights in matters such as tax and inheritance. ...

The issue is becoming hugely contentious. Pope John Paul II yesterday warned countries, including Ireland, against attempts to tamper with what he called "the irreplaceable" institution of marriage-based family, saying that such efforts would deeply wound society. ...

The results also reflect concern within the Catholic church that granting legal recognition to couples who live together would undermine the status of married couples. ...

The bishops are to discuss the issue at their conference next month. They are likely to urge the Government to afford special treatment to married couples, in a submission to an all-party Oireachtas committee that is examining the role and definition of the family in the Constitution.

Minister McDowell echoed some of those comments yesterday and said he believed that some form of civil partnership would be preferred instead. He said: "This could offer greater flexibility than a form of marriage."

"There are many co-habiting heterosexual couples. There may be brothers sharing a farm. There may be an elderly parent being supported by a child. I believe that it makes sense from the perspective of fairness and equality to expand the debate beyond same-sex relationships to include such people."

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