蜜芽传媒

Voters in the Republic of Ireland will go to the polls on Friday to decide whether to enshrine marriage equality in the constitution.

Ireland will be the first country to use a national referendum to extend marriage rights to gay couples.

Leo Varadkar, Health Minister, who is backing the vote, says a yes vote would bring about equality before the law for people who are gay or lesbian.

Kate Bopp, a member of the Mothers and Fathers Matter group, says it is "unnecessary" to amend the family article of the constitution, as gay and lesbian couples are already catered for by the Civil Partnership Act of 2010.