The way has been cleared for gay couples in Northern Ireland to adopt children.

The Court of Appeal today rejected a case taken by the Health Minister there against an earlier High Court ruling that a ban on same-sex couples adopting children was unlawful.

The move also paves the way for unmarried heterosexual couples to adopt.

The ruling has been welcomed by Sinn Fein and the Alliance party in the North. They have both appealed to Minister Edwin Poots to accept the decision and not waste any more taxpayers money on further court challenges.

Alliance Health spokesperson Kieran McCarthy says "The Health Minister must abide by this decision and allow same sex couples to put themselves forward for consideration to adopt children in Northern Ireland...There are too many children in our social care system for us to be preventing certain couples from adopting".