Ireland ‘not ready for gay parents’

IRELAND is not ready to accept a gay couple with children as a family unit, Social and Family Affairs Minister Mary Coughlan said yesterday.

“In terms of official recognition, I don’t think Ireland is ready to accept this family grouping as a social norm,” said the Fianna Fáil minister.

Her view, however, is at odds with that of Justice Minister Michael McDowell, who recently said the legal status of gay couples would have to be addressed.