Enda Kenny has said that the result of the upcoming marriage referendum will be closer than polls originally indicated.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny appeared on Ireland AM this morning to discuss several issues including topics such as same-sex marriage and water charges.

Speaking about the marriage referendum, presenter Mark Cagney admitted that he believes that polls are perhaps not accurate, saying “it will be closer than the original polls indicate.”

Kenny said he wouldn’t comment on the polls or his predictions for the vote as, “[no] referendum can be passed unless people vote for it .”

He said, “They’re not going to vote unless they feel motivated and interested to do so.”

Cagney asked the Taoiseach what brought him on the journey to full acceptance of marriage equality.

“I think to be honest it’s the stories of the ordinary people that have brought me on this journey, to a point when I’m absolutely happy in my own mind and my own conscience that the question that’s being asked here is a first in world terms,” he said.

He mentioned one woman in his constituency who “cried for six months” after her son revealed that he is gay; she now wants full equality for him.

Kenny acknowledged that many rural-based areas do not support same-sex marriage but encouraged them to think about how they would feel if a family member came out. “Are the Irish people going to deny their own kith and kin their right to a marriage contract?” he asked.