Fianna Fáil has lodged a strong protest with RTÉ at the virtual exclusion of the party from television and radio debates on the same-sex marriage referendum.

The party’s director of election in the referendum campaign, Niall Collins, has written to RTÉ director general Noel Curran expressing the party’s anger at what has happened.

In his letter Mr Collins said Fianna Fáil had been informed that RTÉ’s elections steering committee had decided the party had been adequately represented in RTÉ’s referendum coverage.

"With the single exception of a radio debate this afternoon on Saturday with Claire Byrne, where our deputy director of elections Averil Power has been asked to participate, the main Opposition party has not been represented on any RTÉ debate panel.

“This is despite the fact that our party leader has made it clear he is prepared to debate the issue with the referendum’s opponents,” he said.

Mr Collins said Fianna Fáil had a mandate from nearly 400,000 people and had a significant long-term involvement in the issue being debated in this referendum. He pointed out that Fianna Fáil ministers proposed and brought into law the decriminalisation of homosexuality, equality legislation and civil partnerships.

“We supported this referendum proposal at every stage of its passage and this support was endorsed by our members. To hold that this perspective is irrelevant to the primary television debates is extraordinary.

“My concern as director of elections is that when the political perspective is represented in debates exclusively by Government parties, it directly limits the perspectives offered to the public and directly biases the debate,” he said.

Mr Collins said the fact debate positions were being allocated explicitly as Government positions seemed to have been confirmed by a report that Minister for Health Leo Varadker would be replaced on Tuesday night's Prime Time panel by Minister for Communications Alex White following internal Government discussions.

He said it would appear the approach of RTÉ was that the Government should be the only party to make the case but that ignored the fact the amendment was being put to the people following a decision of the Oireachtas and not simply the Government.

“In addition, it is clearly unprecedented that the leader of the largest Opposition party offers to participate in debate without precondition but is rejected. I would request that this be addressed while there is still time for the inherent distortion of this editorial policy to be reversed.”

A spokesman for RTÉ said it would respond directly to the letter, which was received on Saturday.

“RTE has taken care to balance the debates with a range of voices across the political spectrum and beyond. Referendum debate panels are not selected on party political lines.”