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Your Say
Poll: Should Ireland lower the age of consent?
It’s reported this morning that the government will next week consider laws reducing the age from 17 to 16. Should it?
IT’S REPORTED this morning that the government will this week discuss plans to lower Ireland’s age of consent – the age at which a person is considered legally old enough to consent to participating in sex.
Ireland currently allows sex at the age of 17, most recently affirmed in 2006 when the Oireachtas passed emergency legislation after other laws creating an offence of ‘defilement’ (attempting to engage in sex with someone under 15) had been ruled unconstitutional.
The rule, the Irish Daily Mirror suggests, will be discussed when politicians examine the proposed new Children First Bill – with the report quoting Alan Shatter as saying the age will be dropped to 16, the same age used in many European countries.
So – do you agree that someone at the age of 16 is mature enough to be able to engage in sexual intercourse? Or should the current age be kept – or even raised? Should Ireland reduce the age of consent?
Poll Results:
Yes - it should be 16 (1916)
No - 17 is fine (907)
No - it should be 18 (497)
Yes - it should be below 16 (424)
I don't know (223)
No - it should be above 18 (136)
have your say