Rights groups have rounded on the Catholic Church after Bishops called for TDs to be allowed a free vote on new civil partnership laws.
The senior clergy called for the Bill, which stops short of full gay marriage, to have a so-called faith opt-out for registrars who refuse to carry out ceremonies.
Kieran Rose, chair of the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (Glen), said Bishops were entitled to their opinion and to rule on who got married in Catholic churches.
