The Church of Ireland has been criticised for excluding LGBT people from a new committee it has established to examine the issues around homosexuality and the church.

At the annual General Synod yesterday, the Archbishop of Dublin, Michael Jackson, the Primate of Ireland, proposed a motion, which was passed by the Synod, to establish a committee on homosexuality and the church, reports GCN.

Dr Richard O’Leary, an openly-gay member of the church, and founder of the pro-LGBT group Changing Attitude Ireland, complained that the Select Committee on Human Sexuality, did not contain any LGBT people.

He said: “not one member of the Church’s Select Committee on Sexuality identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.

“It would be seen as unacceptable to have a Committee with an all-white membership to examine ethnicity and racism so how can the Church of Ireland approve a Committee on Sexuality on which not even one self-identifying LGBT person is included?”, he continued.

He did not, however that “there are some signs of hope for LGBT inclusion”, as several Church of Ireland churches are to host IDAHO services to mark the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.

At the 2012 Synod, the church passed a motion confirming its opposition to the recognition of gay marriages and describing straight unions as the only ‘normative’ context for a sexual relationship.