Dublin City Council votes in favour of marriage equality

3 Sep 2012

Dublin City Council

Vote passes 38 for, 4 against, 1 abstention

Today Marriage Equality welcomes the news that Dublin City Council has passed a motion in support of civil marriage for same sex couples. Two motions in support of marriage equality were put forward - by councillors from Labour and Sinn Féin - and passed at last night's council meeting, having been considered jointly. Dublin City Council joins Cork City Council and Belfast City Council, who passed similar motions in June, as well as Omagh, Down, Moyle and Magherafelt District Councils who passed motions during the summer months.

"This is a wonderful step by Dublin City Council to raise awareness of this important issue at a local level. We'd like to thank the councillors from both Labour and Sinn Féin for their initiative, and our supporters in Dublin who spoke to their councillors over the last few months about raising the issue," said Marriage Equality Director Moninne Griffith. "Marriage equality is not just a national issue, it's a local one. It's about respecting and protecting loving couples and families who are part of our communities and treating them as equal. That is why putting the issue on the agenda at local level is so important."

In June, Cork City Council became the first local authority in the Republic to openly support marriage equality when a motion, put forward by Sinn Féin councillor Michael Nugent, was passed unanimously. Local authorities across Ireland are resuming their sessions this month. During the summer, councillors from city and county councils around Ireland were in contact with Marriage Equality about plans to bring their own motions of support forward in the coming months.

"We are delighted at the response we've received from councils around the country," added Ms Griffith. "In the coming weeks, we look forward to seeing a dramatic rise in the number of local authorities voicing their support for marriage equality, and sending a powerful message from their communities to the Government that same sex couples, our families and our children deserve equality. With 73% popular support, including TDs, government ministers and local authorities, the time for marriage equality is now."