Olivia McEvoy, Chair of the National LGBT Federation, stated:

“Eamon Gilmore has been a solid ally of full equality for LGBT people and we would like to thank him for his efforts in this regard. We note in particular his inspiring words around the time of the Dublin LGBT Pride celebrations in 2012 when he declared that extending marriage equality to same-sex couples was a key civil rights issue of this generation. We share those sentiments and urge Mr Gilmore’s successor to also take a lead in delivering on this and other reforms that will finally allow LGBT citizens to participate in Irish society on the basis of full equality.

The Government has already committed to a referendum to enshrine marriage equality in the Constitution and there must be no deviation from the agreed timescale of early 2015. Equally important reforms include the Family & Relationships Bill that is currently before the Oireachtas and which will extend much needed legal protections to the children of same-sex parents, among other provisions. The Fine Gael/Labour Coalition has outlined its intention to have this Bill on the statute books by the end of this year and we look forward to that commitment being met.

In addition to marriage equality and family law reform, we urgently need to see the discriminatory Section 37.1 employment equality opt-out addressed so that no LGBT teacher or any other employee of a state funded institution with a religious ethos, faces the prospect of dismissal on account of their sexual orientation or gender identity. And we are also waiting to see comprehensive Transgender recognition legislation finally become law.

Tánaiste Gilmore has been a valued advocate of our community within government on all these issues, and much of the groundwork has already been laid. His successor must now play a central role in ensuring that these crucial reforms are delivered upon during this term of government.”