Recent poll shows 76% of Irish people said they would vote in favour of introducing same-sex marriage in the country, though nearly half would have ‘reservations’
More than three quarters (76%) of Irish people would welcome the introduction of same-sex marriage, according to a recent poll.
Additionally, 80% of those surveyed agreed that same-sex couples should have the same rights as traditional families.
However despite this, 49% of respondents said they had reservations about same-sex marriage – a higher percentage than when asked if they had reservations about gay couples adopting children (41%).
Almost a fifth (19%) said they would vote against gay marriage, but 59% of respondents disagreed that those who oppose same-sex marriage rights are homophobic.
The poll was jointly-commissioned by current affairs TV show RTÉ Prime Time and The Sunday Business Post, and sampled 1,000 adults between 17 and 19 February.
The Irish government has agreed to hold a referendum on same-sex marriage by the summer of 2015. More than 1,500 couples have secured civil partnerships since they were introduced in the Republic of Ireland in 2010.
Northern Ireland is also yet to secure gay marriage rights despite holding the first set of civil partnerships when they were introduced in December 2005.
by Tim Heap
Source – Gay Star News
