Teenagers favour equal age of consent for boys and girls

Teenagers are demanding the age of sexual consent to be equal for boys and girls, it emerged today.

The views of more than 200 teenagers were examined for proposals to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Child Protection regarding the age of consent for sexual activity.

The teenagers were unanimous that young boys and girls should be treated equally before the law.

They also thought there should be a "two-year gap" law which would prevent young people being unnecessarily criminalised, meaning an 18-year-old male could have sex with a 16-year-old female and not break the law.

Launching the report, Minister for Children Brian Lenihan said: "One of the problems with this proposal is that where there is a dispute between persons within the two-year band about the facts, consent becomes an issue in such proceedings."

Youngsters are also calling for improved sex education in schools and more information on sexuality, sexual behaviour, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

It is the first time young people have ever been involved in a national debate.

The move came in the wake of a Supreme Court judgement in May, which struck down the law on statutory rape.

The controversial ruling - which deemed sections of the legislation unconstitutional - saw several convicted sex offenders released from prison.

Minister Lenihan said: "The majority of participants felt that the law on the age of sexual consent needed to take maturity into account, even though they acknowledged that would be difficult to measure.

"There was consensus that young people would decide to engage in sexual activity when they were ready and want to, regardless of the law on the age of sexual consent.

"The participants felt that this decision, if it had been considered maturely, should be respected."

A total of 210 teenagers aged between 15 and 18 took part in the consultation programme. It includes teenagers from Dublin, Cork, Tullamore and Sligo.

The Minister for Children said parents had a role to play in the quality of sex education being taught to their children and stressed a mandatory sex education programme was in place in all schools irrespective of their ethos.

Teenagers taking part in one of the workshops said protected sex comes with a cost, and highlighted the need for free contraception.

Students also called for specialist staff to deliver mandatory sex education in schools from Sixth Class.

"The issue that emerged most forcibly from the consultation was the quality of sex education in our schools," said Mr Lenihan.

"Based on the participants' experience of the school system, it would appear that many schools don't give any sex education.

"In other schools it is taught too infrequently to make an impact and is based solely on the biological aspects of sex."

He also stressed that the youngsters had not put forward what they thought should be the age of consent.

The minister said the young people also felt that teachers were not best placed to deliver sex education classes.

Sophie Walsh, 15, who took part in the consultation, said: "I like the fact that we got the opportunity to say what we feel on a subject that affects us and for the minister to take our opinions into account.

"It is important that there is more information out there for teenagers on protection, STIs and what to do if you get pregnant."

Sophie, a fourth year pupil at Coláiste De Hide, Tallaght, helps run a health café in the area where youth workers offer advice and information to teens.

"Although there is some information for young people it has to be in the right place like our café," she said.

"Teenagers are too embarrassed to go up and ask for something in a chemist or a shop. They need to be able to go somewhere without embarrassment."

The groups of young people made 25 key recommendations that the minister will take to the relevant Government department and Oireachtas Committee.

Covering sex education, information and resources on sex, equality and the law, and STIs and services, they include a range of issues to meet teenagers' needs.