Same-sex marriage is “ without doubt, the most important civil rights issue of our time”, according to newly elected Labour TD Aodhán Ó Ríordán.

In a statement released today, Mr Ó Ríordán, Labour TD from Dublin North East, said that last year’s Civil Partnership Act “must be greatly welcomed”.

The legislation gave same-sex couples almost all of the same rights as married couples.

But he said that the legislation did not go far enough.

Mr O’Ríordán claimed that the inability of same-sex couples to jointly adopt and parental rights cannot be conferred where one of them is not the biological or adoptive parent to the child discriminated against same-sex couples and “represents discrimination against the child as well”.

He continued: “Further, civil partners face enormous challenges when it comes to property and legal procedures which married couples do not. These are issues which I believe need to be seriously addressed at the proposed Constitutional Convention.”

The convention was part of the Labour party manifesto and became part of the Programme for Government.

The convention is set to examine the section of the Constitution dealing with the family with a view to possibly paving the way towards same-sex marriage.

The convention is also set to examine removing the offence of blasphemy from the Constitution, and to delete the article dealing with women in the home.