The Tanaiste says he does not see any potential roadblocks to a referendum on gay marriage. Eamon Gilmore says he welcomes the recommendation of the Constitutional Convention at the weekend which voted in-favour of same-sex marriage.

79% of those involved called for a change in the Constitution to allow for such unions while 18% voted against it.

Mr. Gilmore says the government will address the issue when the Convention makes its report.

Speaking on his way into a major conference on global hunger and climate change at Dublin Castle the Tanaiste said he believes same-sex couples should be allowed to marry and had this to say when asked if he could forsee any roadblocks to a referendum. 

"No I mean the whole purpose of establishing the Constitutional Convention was to identify issues where the Constitution needed to be changed - this was one of them" he said.

"This was one of the issues that we asked the Constitutional Convention to address; I'm glad that the Constitutional Convention has recommended that there should be a referendum on same-sex marriage and I hope that we will have one" he added. 

Meanwhile a pro-marriage group believes redefining marriage will damage society. The Iona Institute is against a referendum on same sex marriage being held.

David Quinn from the Iona Institute does not think there is a need, or a public appetite, for same-sex marriage:

The strongest supporters of gay marriage in the Cabinet were quick to hail the result. Children's Minister Frances Fitzgerald said the 79% majority vote in favour of a gay marriage referendum at the Constitutional Convention had sent a powerful message to the government.

"If you were to take a temperature in relation to this issue, I think the Government would have to be very aware of the strength of feeling in favour of it," she said.

And Justice Minister Alan Shatter, who has also declared his support for gay marriage, promised to bring forward legislation to give gay and lesbian parents the same rights as heterosexual parents.

He spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning.

A Newstalk survey last month found that 65% of listeners agreed that gay couples should have full rights, including the right to adopt a child.