Minister Dermot Ahern has said that he doesn’t “bring whatever religion I have to the table” when he is legislating.

His remarks came after a priest in his constituency criticised his Civil Partnership Bill as “harmful to the common good”.

In a sermon at the weekend, Fr John Hogan of St Mary’s Church, Drogheda, said that Catholic members of the Oireachtas could not support the Government’s bill, which gives marriage-like rights to same-sex couples “while remaining in good standing with the church”.

According to a report in the Irish Times, Meath East Fianna Fáil TD Thomas Byrne was in the congregation.

In response, Mr Ahern said that he was “a republican” adding that “from the foundation of the State, there has been a very definite line between issues of church and State and that is exactly my position.”

Speaking on LMFM radio, he continued: “When I legislate, particular as a Government Minister, I don’t bring whatever religion I have to the table.”

Last Sunday, Fr Hogan quoted from a 2003 Vatican document on such legislation, promulgated by then Cardinal Ratzinger now the pope. It said “to vote in favour of a law so harmful to the common good is gravely immoral”.

Defending his homily, Fr Hogan said that “as a Catholic priest I am bound to Christ’s church’s teaching on this issue and I have a duty to remind the faithful of this teaching”.