Majority of FG TDs favour gay marriage

An overwhelming majority of Fine Gael backbenchers support a referendum extending marriage rights to same-sex couples, a new survey reveals.

The findings blow apart the widely held view that the backbenchers act as a conservative anchor on social reform within the Coalition, and will increase pressure on Taoiseach Enda Kenny to finally state where he stands on the issue.

With 43 of the 50 non-ministerial Fine Gael TDs responding, 79% back holding a referendum on gay marriage, with 19% opposed, according to the Newstalk Breakfast survey.

There was also a near two-to-one majority onthe Fine Gael backbenches in favour of granting full parental and guardianship rights to same-sex couples, with 56% supporting the move, while 30% were opposed and 14% had no opinion.

Many prominent Fine Gael cabinet ministers, including Alan Shatter and Leo Varadkar, have come out in favour of gay marriage equality, but Mr Kenny refuses to be drawn on the matter — despite Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore calling it the “civil rights issue of this generation”.

The Constitutional Convention of citizens and politicians set-up to consider a national reform agenda voted by nearly four-to-one to hold a referendum on gay marriage equality.

The Cabinet has yet to agree its formal response to the recommendation, but Labour has expressed concern some in the Fine Gael leadership were preparing to kick the issue into the long grass for fear it could prove as divisive as the X-Case legislation on the FG backbenches.

Mr Gilmore favours holding a referendum on extending marriage rights to same-sex couples next year, after the reform was recently passed into law by France and England and Wales.

The survey also found the backbenchers widely divided over Mr Kenny’s flagship political reform initiative of abolishing the Seanad, with 54% backing the move, while 44% are opposed.

More than two thirds of backbenchers also called on the Taoiseach to freshen-up the Government’s image with a cabinet reshuffle.

Some 67% of those questioned favoured a shake-up — which would also provide ministerial opportunities for backbenchers — while 30% were against the idea.

A significant block of backbenchers, 30%, are against plans for an Oireachtas inquiry into the banking collapse, while 65% support the move.

On the emotive question of the X-Case legislation, which provoked months of turmoil within Fine Gael before five rebels were expelled for voting against Government policy, 88% of backbenchers said Mr Kenny’s leadership had been enhanced by his firm stance, while 5% said it had damaged him.