Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said today the Government was committed to legislating for civil partnerships but warned changing the law would be complex and take time.
Speaking at the opening of the new Dublin offices of the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN), Mr Ahern said: "The Government is unequivocally in favour of treating gay and lesbian people as fully equal citizens in our society.
He said: "Giving effect to this principle in legislation is necessarily complex and challenging.
But Mr Ahern said: "Legislating for civil partnerships requires thinking through a host of related matters."
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern
The Taoiseach said an expert group has been established to advise the Minister for Justice on the issues involved.
Mr Ahern said the group will provide an analysis of the categories of partnerships and relationships outside of marriage to which legal effect and recognition might be given, consistent with constitutional provisions.
"It will identify options as to how and to what extent legal recognition could be given to those alternative forms of partnership, including partnerships entered into outside the State."
"Civil partnership models in place in other countries will be taken into account," he added.
Fine Gael senator Sheila Terry praised Mr Ahern's decision to attend the launch which she said made him the first Taoiseach to launch a gay and lesbian project.
But she criticised what she said was the Taoiseach's failure "once more to spell out a timetable for his Government's plans to introduce civil partnership."
Ms Terry said her party announced what it would do in this area almost two years ago.
"Since then, we have had announcement after announcement from the Government but still no timetable and certainly no action," she said.
In his speech, Mr Ahern said: "The most successful cities in the world are those that foster cultural diversity."
"This success manifests itself economically as well as socially. A touchstone of this diversity is the manner in which gay and lesbian rights are respected," he said.
GLEN's director of policy change Eoin Collins said the group's strategic programme sought "not to manage our marginalisation, but to abolish it"
GLEN's chairman Kieran Rose said: "Research shows that countries that accept and include gay people are more successful economically and they are also more dynamic, inclusive and creative places to live."
Mr Rose said: "Ireland is currently at the cutting edge of the global economy. Diversity and economic success go together.
"Nowadays young lesbian and gay people, like their heterosexual peers have high expectations for themselves and their society and see no reason why their horizons should be limited," he added.
