Mothers and Fathers Matter, the organisation leading the No Campaign in Ireland’s same-sex marriage referendum has demanded that Taoiseach Enda Kenny clarify comments he made regarding teaching on marriage in Catholic schools should the marriage referendum pass.

In an interview on RTE, Mr Kenny said that Catholic schools “will be expected to teach children that people in this country, in Ireland, in 2016, will have the right to get married irrespective of their sexual orientation”.

Mothers and Fathers Matter in a statement in response expressed alarm at Mr Kenny’s remarks and sought clarification.

Speaking on behalf of Mothers and Fathers Matter, Dr Tom Finegan said: “We are very concerned at what Taoiseach Enda Kenny had to say. He needs to immediately clarify whether or not he thinks Catholic and other religious schools should be forced to teach that people have a right to marry regardless of sexual orientation, if the referendum passes, and if so, will they then be allowed to say that the teaching of the Catholic Church is that marriage is by definition the union of one man and one woman”.

He concluded: “If Mr Kenny does not show that his Government respects the right of religious schools to teach what is in accordance with their ethos, we will certainly be making an issue of this in the coming referendum campaign.”