The Northern Assembly has voted in favour of a motion calling for full marriage rights for same-sex citizens.

But the motion has been vetoed by unionists, meaning the motion falls short of getting the necessary support from both major communities.

53 MLAs approved the calls for civil marriage equality, out of a total of 105 voters.

But under the 'Petition of concern' principle invoked by the DUP, the motion falls because it did not pass with a clear majority from both the Nationalist and Unionist sides.

It's the fifth time that politicians in Stormont have been asked to vote on calls for full marriage equality, but the first time that a majority of voting MLAs have approved the calls for marriage equality.

Following the signing into law of the Marriage Act 2015 in the Republic last week, Northern Ireland is now the only part of Ireland or the UK not to allow gay citizens to marry.

The DUP's finance minister Arlene Foster says it's not fair that members are asked to debate the same issue again and again: