Taoiseach defends 'discriminatory' statutory rape law

The Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has defended the emergency legislation rushed through the Dáil in response to the recent Supreme Court ruling on statutory rape.

The legislation has been widely criticised as flawed, particularly in the way it discriminates against young boys who engage in underage sex.

However, speaking in Dublin today, Mr Ahern said the bill was not a botched job and was not flawed.

He said the controversial section had been checked and approved by legal experts and any changes that are deemed necessary to the wider legislation could be decided on by the Oireachtas committee set up to examine the law.