Ireland will let voters in mid-2015
decide whether to legalize gay marriage.
The republic's government announced the
decision to move ahead with a national vote on Tuesday. The
referendum will be held as a part of a special “constitution day,”
according to UK's The
Guardian.
Deputy Prime Minister Eamon Gilmore,
leader of the Irish Labour Party, had been lobbying for the
referendum.
Gilmore said it would be “important
to win this referendum.”
Brendan Howlin, the minister for public
expenditure and reform, said: “The Irish people in opinion polls
had indicated their support for this issue and should be given the
opportunity when practicable to express their views.”
A
government poll released last year found overwhelming support
(73%) for a constitutional amendment allowing gay and lesbian couples
to marry.
The Guardian reported that the
Roman Catholic Church in Ireland has not announced whether it plans
to work against passage of the marriage measure.