IRISH bishops last night condemned government proposals to lower the age of sexual consent to 16.

GUIDELINES for professionals working with sexually active young people must be developed and published together with any proposed legislation on the age of sexual consent, the Crisis Pregnancy Agency (CPA) insisted yesterday.

CHILDREN’S Ombudsman Emily Logan is expected to raise, next week, her concerns with Children’s Minister Brian Lenihan about the prospect of young victims of sexual crimes facing rigorous cross-examination in court.

THE Government is expected to back a recommendation by the Oireachtas Committee on Child Protection to hold a referendum on the right of an accused to defend themselves in cases of statutory rape.

THE Government should hold a referendum on the right of an accused to defend themselves in cases of statutory rape, according to an all-party Oireachtas Committee on Child Protection.

The Government is expected to reduce the age of consent to 16, when it launches a report on teenage sexual activity and child protection next week.

A referendum to deal with the fallout from the statutory rape controversy is likely to be held next March.

A SEPARATE and more urgent constitutional referendum to the one proposed last week by the Taoiseach is going to be necessary to fully implement new legislation on child protection.

IRELAND is developing an international tag as a safe haven for sex offenders because there isn’t sufficient monitoring to prevent them getting jobs working around children.

THE Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is to meet with the Minister for Children and Minister for Justice to discuss a possible referendum on statutory rape law.

A LEADING young people’s organisation has called for judges and the Director of Public Prosecutions to be given discretion as to whether to prosecute and convict in cases of underage sex.

THE deadline for public submissions to the newly formed Oireachtas Committee on Child Protection has been extended following complaints that too little time was allowed for people to get their views on paper.

THE Oireachtas Committee on Child Protection will investigate the possibility that the Constitution now provides better protection to a person accused of child abuse rather than the victim.

Today’s Supreme Court judgement on the ’Mr A’ case clarifies the current position in relation to people convicted under the defunct underage rape law, the Taoiseach said tonight.