Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis: ‘Party backing referendum to win pink vote in the election’

Conservative party members have accused the Fianna Fáil “power elite” of turning their backs on “seriously minded Christians” by supporting the referendum on marriage equality in order to secure the general election “pink vote”.

The claim was made during an hour-long discussion on the merits of the May 22 referendum to allow gay couples the right to civil marriages in Ireland.

Speaking during the event at Fianna Fáil’s ard fheis at the RDS in Dublin, justice and equality spokesman Niall Collins, director of the party’s Yes campaign, said the vote is “not about surrogacy, adoption, fostering, or any of these issues” as they are already covered by existing legislation, but rather is about enshrining “equality in civil law”.