Kenny under pressure to hold referendum on same-sex marriage

Taoiseach Enda Kenny is facing growing pressure to hold a referendum on same-sex marriage and may also need to extend the terms of the convention examining changes to the Constitution, the head of the body says.

However, Constitutional Convention chairman Tom Arnold warned against any wholesale dismantling of the Constitution or the possibility of agreeing a new one in the long term.

In an interview with the Irish Examiner, Mr Arnold also dismissed previous claims that the 100-member convention probing Constitutional issues was just an “expensive talking shop”.