A proposal to allow a free vote on the Civil Partnerships Bill in the Seanad has been defeated by 44 votes to six today.

The final Dáil debate on the Civil Partnership Bill is due to take place today in what gay rights advocates are calling an "historic advance for same-sex couples''.

Gay rights activists today responded to a statement by ireland’s Catholic Bishops in which they said the Civil Partnership Bill undermines the constitutional position of marriage.

Legislation to give same-sex couples similar rights to married couples is moving closer to enactment after it passed Committee stage in the Dáil last night.

Legislation to give legal recognition to gay couples for the first time has been introduced to the Dáil this evening.

Plans for gay ’marriages’ were today denounced as crumbs from the wedding cake by campaigners insisting they don’t go far enough.

The Green Party has welcomed the introduction of the Civil Partnership Bill to the Dáil this evening.

Gay rights groups have today called for a number of reforms to the Civil Partnership Bill which is set to be debated by the Dáil this evening as part of its progress into law.