Minister for State at the Department of Finance Simon Harris has joined Cabinet colleagues Frances Fitzgerald and Leo Varadkar in criticising the No campaign in the same-sex marriage referendum for "trying to change the marriage referendum".

Mr Harris said he welcomed comments by the chairman of the Referendum Commission, Mr Justice Kevin Cross, that the referendum was not about surrogacy or adoption.

‘Red herrings’

Mr Harris said he believed “red herrings” had been brought into the debate because there was no reasonable argument against equality for same-sex couples who simply wanted to get married in a registry office.

Speaking in Newgrange, Mr Harris echoed comments made earlier by Mr Varadkar that the No side was trying “to change” the referendum.

He also reiterated comments from Ms Fitzgerald criticising the No side for their claims about surrogacy.

Mr Harris said he respected that “people may have a different view to me” but said that he would “prefer to debate on the realities of the issue, and not red herrings”.