THE Green Party wants the definition of the family in the Constitution to be examined to give rights to couples who are not married.However a referendum would have to be held to grant greater rights to co-habiting couples.
The move comes as the party is accused of backing off on recognising gay marriage.
Gay couples are to recognised for the first time in the history of the State under Government plans.
But the plan to give legal recognition to same-sex couples stops short of allowing gay marriage under the law.
Gay couples in civil unions will be allowed to register their partnerships, which would then gain legal protection.
Article 41.3.1 of the Constitution states: "The State pledges itself to guard with special care the institution of marriage, on which the family is founded, and to protect it against attack."
Greens' justice spokesman Ciaran Cuffe says the Constitution does not grant protection to the growing number of co-habiting couples families.
Given that 40pc of births are outside of marriage, Mr Cuffe says hundreds of thousands of people are affected.
He says he wants a debate to see if the Constitution reflects the Ireland of today and particularly the children of unmarried couples.
"I think they don't have adequate Constitutional protection," he said.
But Mr Cuffe warned he doesn't want to see the wider Constitutional issue take away from getting through the new civil union laws for gay people.
"Firstly I want to see the civil union laws as quickly as possible," he said.
After that is dealt with, Mr Cuffe said he wants the issue of co-habiting couples and the Constitution to be looked at.
"It's difficult because the words 'marriage', 'the family' and being subject to attack all come together in the section of the Constitution," he said.
But the Greens' stance on the issue of same-sex couple recognition was attacked by the Labour Party.
Labour leader Eamon Gilmore said the Greens were outmanoeuvred by Fianna Fail.
"You have been sold a pup and have been outwitted on the issue," he said.
"The commitments they got are virtually meaningless and are actually a retreat from what was on offer from the then Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, back in February last," he added. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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