Days after his bishop spoke out against the marriage-equality campaign, a Catholic priest said he backed the ‘Yes’ vote.

Last Sunday, the Bishop of Raphoe Philip Boyce issued a pastoral letter at Masses speaking out against the 'Yes' campaign. However, Fr Brian Ó Fearraigh, a curate in Gaoth Dobhair, Co Donegal, said he didn't believe a 'Yes' vote would affect families or children, the Irish Independent reports.

In a statement he said: "I'm of the belief that this referendum is purely a civil question and that the State cannot discriminate against its citizens.

"This civil marriage constitutional referendum, in my opinion, is about giving statutory recognition and protection, irrespective of sex, to the relationships of all people who publicly want such recognition by the State, nothing more, nothing less.

"I don't believe that a 'Yes' vote will actively impact children's well-being.

"What is important - irrespective of the family configuration that children are a part of, and I think we all recognize that there are many different kinds of family formations - is that every child is valued, loved and accepted."

Meanwhile two government ministers have also spoken out. At the Ireland versus England cricket game in Dublin last week, Fine Gael ministers James Reilly and Paschal Donohoe spoke about the campaign.

"I'm a married man. I wouldn't trade in my marriage for a civil partnership. Why would I?” said Dr. Reilly.

"It is not protected under our Constitution like my marriage is. I wouldn't accept being told that my relationship is less than everybody else's," he said. "I don't want to live in an Orwellian world where all people are equal, but some people are more equal than others."

Donohoe said: "It is difficult to understate the importance of how the country casts its vote on May 22.

"This is about saying to gay people that we value them as equals. These people are our friends, neighbors, cousins."