This morning, the Green Party tweeted the following:

Nice try lads – the Greens were in power when the CP Act came into being – but I don’t think so.

What President McAleese actually said in her speech at The Gala Awards is posted below. And who could blame her, with 169 differences between civil partnership and marriage?

(To say nothing of the fact that the Green Party in the past pledged its support for full marriage equality – until they had the chance to get into government, presumably.)

When called on it via Twitter, the Green Party responded by saying: “Yes, she commends [the Civil Partnership Act] and seems to want to go forward to full marriage – no contradiction in commending a step and supporting a goal.”

Really? Perhaps the Green Party shouldn’t misrepresent the main theme of the President’s speech: equality.

• Acceptance speech of President Mary McAleese on receipt of the Gala Award for LGBT-Friendly Political Figure 2011:

It’s a great honour and pleasure for me to accept this Political Figure of the Year Award from the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in Ireland and of Ireland.

2011 has been an historic year for the gay and lesbian community, with the passing of civil partnership legislation. It has been heart-warming, life-affirming to see since then the pure joy and happiness on the faces of those who have been able at last to have their loving relationships officially recognised.

Yet, we have only come a small way on the road to achieving a society where all citizens enjoy full, equal rights and civic opportunities. I pray that we can achieve full equality, and deconstruct the noxious apparatus of homophobia which attempts to demean the human person, causing such awful damage – particularly to those young people throughout the country who are coming to terms with their sexuality and sense of self.

Much has been achieved to counter this toxin, but there still remain problems to solve and work to be done. But tonight I want to pay tribute to the people who are doing the work: to the National Lesbian and Gay Federation for their advocacy for a more equal, more inclusive, more tolerant society. You are not only the custodians of the trust of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, which you represent with such passion and conviction, you are worthy exemplars for all those in Irish society who yearn to see the full realisation of the Proclamation of this country: that all the children of this nation shall be cherished equally.

May you all enjoy this wonderful evening and celebration of all that is good in your community, may I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support and many kindnesses to me during my time in office.