Senator David Norris has called on the Government to introduce legislation to recognise gay marriage.
Speaking at the launch of this year's Dublin's Pride festival, the long-time gay rights campaigner said that while progress had been made in achieving gay rights, legal recognition of committed gay relationships was needed.
Mr Norris, who is this year's festival grand marshall, said the Government had "dithered and procrastinated" on his Domestic Partnership/Civil Registration Bill introduced in the Senate three years ago and stalled similar legislative steps taken by the Labour Party in Dail Eireann.
He said the issue of gay marriage would be "firmly" on the agenda for the incoming government.
He also criticised exemptions, requested by churches, in equality legislation which meant "many teachers in this country could be fired from their jobs quite legally on the basis of their 'life style'".
Mr Norris urged Dublin's diverse gay community to join the festival, which culminates in the Dublin Pride Parade on June 23th.
"And I would say to the political parties that in a tight election they should be wary of alienating the gay vote. No party can afford to be cavalier with 10% of the electorate," he said.
Dublin Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgendered & Queer Pride Ltd, a not-for-profit company, was set-up in November 2006 to run this year's event - the first in it's 20 year history.
Festival committee chairman Neil Ward said the Pride festival's size and scale stands second only to the St Patrick's Day Parade.
The theme selected for this year's festival, is Pride 'n' Joy. Events during the two week festival include sports tournaments, poetry and film nights, a prom night, along various other events leading to the main parade.