Rape crisis centres have welcomed the Government's plans to hold a referendum next March that would address the fallout of the statutory rape controversy.
The executive director of Rape Crisis Network Ireland, Fiona Neary, said the move would help to ensure our laws held sexual predators of children to account.
"The need to hold a referendum to reintroduce statutory rape is urgent. Without it, the law is unable to deal effectively with those who prey sexually on young people," she said.
"Without these new laws, our courtrooms will remain hostile battlegrounds for our child victims. Without these new laws, the State will struggle to hold to account the sexual predators of our children."
Senior Government sources have indicated that the referendum will seek to remove the defence of honest mistake that is available to adults who have sex with children. It would also provide for a "zone of absolute protection" below which it would be automatically a criminal offence to have sex with a child.
The age at which this zone came into force would be decided at a later date by the Oireachtas. The removal of the honest mistake defence would help ensure children were not at risk of being rigorously cross-examined in court.
Government officials say the Oireachtas will legislate on the age of consent at a later date.
Ms Neary said that without a referendum, there could be no effective statutory rape law. "This means that those seeking to sexually exploit young teenagers can take advantage of the weak and inadequate laws that currently exist," she said.