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| Same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland only a matter of time – Irish PM | Same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland only a matter of time – Irish PM |
| (6 months later) | |
| Speaking at Pride event, taoiseach Leo Varadkar denies politicising issue during first official visit to Belfast | |
| Henry McDonald in Belfast | |
| Sat 5 Aug 2017 11.58 BST | |
| Last modified on Sat 5 Aug 2017 12.15 BST | |
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| The Irish Republic’s first gay prime minister has predicted it is only a matter of time before same-sex marriage is legalised in Northern Ireland. | The Irish Republic’s first gay prime minister has predicted it is only a matter of time before same-sex marriage is legalised in Northern Ireland. |
| Taoiseach Leo Varadkar denied he was politicising the issue of gay marriage during the second day of his first official visit to Belfast. | Taoiseach Leo Varadkar denied he was politicising the issue of gay marriage during the second day of his first official visit to Belfast. |
| In contrast to the rest of the UK and the Republic of Ireland, LBGT couples cannot be legally married in Northern Ireland. | In contrast to the rest of the UK and the Republic of Ireland, LBGT couples cannot be legally married in Northern Ireland. |
| Speaking outside a Pride Breakfast event at the Northern Whig pub in central Belfast on Saturday morning, Varadkar said he was not attending the festival to upset anyone but rather “to state my support, my government’s support for equality before the law and individual freedom for all citizens no matter where they happen to reside”. | Speaking outside a Pride Breakfast event at the Northern Whig pub in central Belfast on Saturday morning, Varadkar said he was not attending the festival to upset anyone but rather “to state my support, my government’s support for equality before the law and individual freedom for all citizens no matter where they happen to reside”. |
| Asked about when Northern Ireland would fall into line by legalising gay marriage, Varadkar said: “I think it’s only a matter of time although it is of course a decision for the Northern Ireland assembly to take, but I am confident that like other western European countries they will make that decision in due course. | Asked about when Northern Ireland would fall into line by legalising gay marriage, Varadkar said: “I think it’s only a matter of time although it is of course a decision for the Northern Ireland assembly to take, but I am confident that like other western European countries they will make that decision in due course. |
| Repeated bids to legalise gay marriage have been vetoed by the Democratic Unionists, which has an influential evangelical Christian base and is the largest party in the Northern Ireland assembly. | Repeated bids to legalise gay marriage have been vetoed by the Democratic Unionists, which has an influential evangelical Christian base and is the largest party in the Northern Ireland assembly. |
| Any fresh bid to introduce gay marriage legislation will only take place if and when the Stormont assembly and power-sharing government are restored. Discussions aimed at restoring devolution in Belfast will restart between the main parties, principally Sinn Féin and the DUP, after the summer. | Any fresh bid to introduce gay marriage legislation will only take place if and when the Stormont assembly and power-sharing government are restored. Discussions aimed at restoring devolution in Belfast will restart between the main parties, principally Sinn Féin and the DUP, after the summer. |
| Varadkar said he did not raise theissue with DUP leader, Arlene Foster, during discussions with the party in Belfast on Friday. | Varadkar said he did not raise theissue with DUP leader, Arlene Foster, during discussions with the party in Belfast on Friday. |
| He said, however, that he believed public opinion on the issue “moved on a long time ago”. | He said, however, that he believed public opinion on the issue “moved on a long time ago”. |
| Belfast Pride Festival 2017 is not only breaking new ground in terms of the taoiseach’s participation but also resulted in a historic first for policing on the island of Ireland. | Belfast Pride Festival 2017 is not only breaking new ground in terms of the taoiseach’s participation but also resulted in a historic first for policing on the island of Ireland. |
| In an unprecedented move, uniformed officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland and their southern counterparts in the Garda Siochána joined the Pride march through central Belfast on Saturday. | In an unprecedented move, uniformed officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland and their southern counterparts in the Garda Siochána joined the Pride march through central Belfast on Saturday. |
| Garda Chief Supt Tony McLoughlin said the event was a double historic first for his force. | Garda Chief Supt Tony McLoughlin said the event was a double historic first for his force. |
| The Garda equality officer said: “This is the first time uniformed Garda officers including myself are marching in a Pride parade anywhere on the island of Ireland. It is also the first time uniformed Gardai have marched in any parade up here in Northern Ireland. We do so to show solidarity with our LBGT colleagues within the Garda Siochána and also for the wider LBGT community.” | The Garda equality officer said: “This is the first time uniformed Garda officers including myself are marching in a Pride parade anywhere on the island of Ireland. It is also the first time uniformed Gardai have marched in any parade up here in Northern Ireland. We do so to show solidarity with our LBGT colleagues within the Garda Siochána and also for the wider LBGT community.” |
| His PSNI colleague Ast Ch Con Barbara Gray defended her force’s participation on the Pride parade. She said hate crimes against the LGBT community were under-reported and hoped PSNI officers’ open presence on the march would encourage more people from the gay community to report attacks. | His PSNI colleague Ast Ch Con Barbara Gray defended her force’s participation on the Pride parade. She said hate crimes against the LGBT community were under-reported and hoped PSNI officers’ open presence on the march would encourage more people from the gay community to report attacks. |
| To underline the police force’s support for the event the rainbow colours of the international gay rights movement were painted onto the side of one PSNI armoured Land Rover across the road from the breakfast event. | To underline the police force’s support for the event the rainbow colours of the international gay rights movement were painted onto the side of one PSNI armoured Land Rover across the road from the breakfast event. |
| Up to 10,000 people are taking part in the annual Pride rally with 60 bands and hundreds of floats on the route towards Custom House Square, where a concert will take place later on Saturday. | Up to 10,000 people are taking part in the annual Pride rally with 60 bands and hundreds of floats on the route towards Custom House Square, where a concert will take place later on Saturday. |
| Leo Varadkar | |
| Gay marriage | |
| Northern Ireland | |
| Ireland | |
| Democratic Unionist party (DUP) | |
| Northern Irish politics | |
| news | |
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