Changes Considered To Irish Sex Laws

The Irish government is looking at lowering the age of consent for sex in Ireland to 16.

Ireland's Minister for Children Barry Andrews said he believed the current age limit of 17 was "outdated" and out of touch with modern realities.

He said Ireland was, along with Malta, the only country in Europe with an age of consent of 17.

He said to apply criminal sanctions to a 17-year-old for having sex with a 16-year-old, which we all know is more common today, is "unconscionable" to him.

Mr Andrews said he expected laws to be published in January, reflecting that times have moved on and that there was a different attitude to sex among young people today.

He said he didn't believe that lowering the age of consent would encourage people to have sex at a younger age.

"I don't think young people are ignorant," he said "they understand that we are not setting this as a target."

Mr Andrews acknowledged that it was unlikely the law would be enacted before the upcoming election, but he hoped the next government would carry any work done forward and make the change.

Meanwhile, the Government is reported to be considering a radical change in the law surrounding prostitution in Ireland.

If implemented, it would make it illegal for a man to buy sex, but not for a woman to sell it.

The change would mean Gardai would be more focussed on prosecuting male clients rather than targeting women working as prostitutes.

A similar law was introduced in Sweden and has halved street prostitution over ten years.

Most of the prostitution in Ireland takes place behind closed doors, in apartments run as brothels that advertise online as escort agencies.

It makes it very difficult for Gardai to prosecute, but a change in the law putting the emphasis on the purchase of sex rather than the selling would help.

Gardai would be able to use telephone records of clients as evidence, and would be less dependent on catching the client soliciting sex on the street.