A statutory group set up to advise the Government on women's health issues has called for urgent legislation to address the gap in the law in relation to statutory rape.
The Women's Health Council (WHC) expressed "severe dismay" at the events in the Mr A case this week.
The body held a board meeting today to discuss the events unfolding in relation to the constitutional challenge to the statutory rape laws and what it said was the "unintended consequence" now of a "hiatus" in the legislation.
In a statement, the WHC said it was "deeply concerned that there is no provision for the prosecution of statutory rape in the Republic of Ireland".
"The council believes that a comprehensive review of the entire legislative framework governing the area is imperative and arguably should have been foreseen, based on information available in the public domain."
"It is clear that legislation is required on an immediate basis to bridge the gap in relation to consent in the previous 1935 legislation in the interim and the Council trusts that the Government will address this situation with urgency to protect the well being of women and children of both sexes in this country."
The Government intends to rush emergency legislation on the issue through the Oireachtas next week after the High Court's decision yesterday to release a 41-year-old man who had sex with a 12-year-old girl.
Mr A was jailed for three years in 2004 after pleading guilty to unlawful carnal knowledge of an underage girl.