Same-sex marriage in the Republic of Ireland in Northern Ireland held the first of the new UK civil partnership registration ceremonies. The Government said that it would legislate following the report, but Taoiseach Bertie Ahern also said there might not be time to do so before the then upcoming election. Chaired by former TD Anne Colley, this working group included GLEN, the gay rights lobby organisation, who said they expected a recommendation for civil marriage. The group facilitated a conference on the topic in May 2006, as input to its reports which was attended by experts from other countries which have introduced civil unions and same-sex marriage.
Euroscepticism in the Republic of Ireland does not advocate withdrawal from the Union. Ireland pursued an isolationist policy from the 1920s to the 1950s, and in the mid-1950s, then opposition leader and former Taoiseach Éamon de Valera stated an opposition to the formation of a European parliament and European federalism, noting that Ireland ""did not strive to get out of that British domination [...] to get into a worse [position]"". Membership of the EEC was however sought by successive Irish governments, and Ireland acceded to the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1973. This followed a referendum with a near record turnout of 71% (the highest turnout