Statutory rape fallout - Government not out of woods yet

AS Ireland’s underage sex controversy continues to reverberate, the emergency measures unveiled yesterday by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern are clearly intended to patch up the calamitous communications breakdown within Government and between departments.

On the face of it, Mr Ahern is striving to portray the past week as a dynamic triumph for Government rather than one of chaos, mayhem and disarray.

The sense of confusion persists, however, with the Taoiseach unsure of how many criminals are being held under the 1935 act on statutory rape of minors. Initially estimated at six, the figure could be as high as 20.