Dublin Archbishop Diarmuid Martin has refused to say whether Bishop Kevin Doran retains his confidence in discussing same-sex marriage, following a controversial radio interview this week.

Doran was a guest on Newstalk’s Breakfast show discussing the upcoming referendum on marriage equality on Monday when he made the contentious comments.

When host Chris O’Donoghue stated that many lesbians and gay men across Ireland were parents, Dr Kevin Doran, Bishop of Elphin responded saying “They’re not parents.”

“They may have children but that’s the difference, you see that’s the point, people who have children are not necessarily parents,” he continued.

Speaking at a hastily arranged press conference in Maynooth yesterday Archbishop Martin said of the controversial comments that he believes that during debates “certain types of language are inappropriate,” reports The Irish Times.

He described Doran’s characterisation of gay parents as “an unfortunate phrase.”

“I hope that people were not offended by it. We have used the term parenthood…we talk about adoptive parents, we talk about lone parents. There are very many, many definitions. I think that we should look on that variety of situations in a way that is more positive. We shouldn’t use phrases that may offend people,” Martin said.

At the same press conference, Archbishop Eamon Martin reaffirmed the Catholic bishops’ opposition to a Yes vote in the marriage equality referendum on May 22.