The Rape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI) today said it was appalled and disappointed that the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Child Protection has called for the age of consent to be lowered to 16.
Cliona Saidlear, RCNI policy co-ordinator, said of the report published today: "Bringing the age down would undermine and jeopardise all the other good proposals in the report.
"Lowering the age means increased vulnerability of young people and increased licence to get away with it for the abuser,"
The RCNI also said the report failed to take on board the need to deal with the wider issues around child sex abuse. It noted Ireland has no compulsory sex education in schools, so it is possible to go through school without ever being taught what the age of consent is.
And while she welcomed many of the new recommendations, Ms Saidlear warned: "What is clear is that currently in Ireland the age of consent is highly overworked and buckling under the responsibilities it bears.
"It is also clear that the age of consent is experienced in highly gendered ways. Almost 80 per cent of young women today already regret having sex as early as they did. Lowering the age of consent simply pushes that bar lower, exposing young girls today to ever-increasing levels of pressure.
"The age of consent at 17 offers protection not only from older predators but also where there is sexual violence between peers."
The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) also welcomed many of the report's recommendations while expressing grave concerns at the proposal on teh age of consent.
In particular the DRCC supported the recommendation to provide absolute protection to children under 16 from the "defence of honest mistake as to age".
Angela McCarthy, Head of Clinical Services at the Centre said: "While the Report strengthens considerably the protection offered to young people under 16, it almost completely removed protection for those aged 16 to 17. We in the DRCC firmly believe that the age of consent should remain at 17, and this was an important part of our submission to the All Party Committee.
"We feel the lowering of the age of consent to 16 would be a retrograde step . . . We note that this was one of the few issues where there was not consensus among the Commission members. In addition, the majority of submissions received by the Commission favoured the retention of 17 as the age of consent.
"We would like to see a national debate on this issue, which would consider all the arguments, in a calm and rational manner."
Youth Work Ireland has given a guarded welcome to the report.
The organisation, which assisted the consultation with young people and itself made a submission, said progress has been made but there is a need for a strong political commitment and consensus in the area.
The organisation has called for caution in changing the age of consent believing that there is usefulness in keeping 17 on the statute books for some issues.
"Young people when consulted where not clear on the age of consent issue and we can envisage times when having 17 on the statute book could be useful" said Michael Mc Loughlin of Youth Work Ireland
Youth Work Ireland also said there was a need to avoid confusion and conflicting messages over how to change the constitution to protect children. The organisation called on the government to "ensure that one clear and simple wording is put to the people on this issue."
Sinn Féin's Law Reform spokesperson, Aengus Ó Snodaigh, welcomed the report, noting that a number of the proposals on the document reflect the arguments contains in Sinn Féin's submission to the Committee.
He said he was pleased the report recommends "an obligation on employers of people working with children to report relevant dismissals, and to vet potential employees against a register."
"I am also very happy with the recommendations for public awareness programmes and education around all aspects of child sexual abuse, including the age of consent, because I feel there is real confusion out there amongst many people that must be addressed," he added.
The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children also welcomed the committee's recomendations today. In particular they agreed with proposed change in the law to provide for absolute criminality in respect of sexual activity with children; the propopsed stautory framework to allow 'soft information' to be used in vetting employees; and the recomendations to make the criminla justice system more "child friendly".
In regards to the lowering of the age of consent to 16 years old the ISPCC said: "this recommendation needs to be given extremely careful consideration and should be referred to the Ombudsman for children for her views. In addition, young people, through a nationwide consultation process, should be canvassed on their views regarding this particular recommendation on the age of sexual consent.
"The ISPCC believes that implementation of these recommendations will significantly change the child protection system in Ireland."
Green Party Justice spokesperson Ciarán Cuffe said: "I compliment the Committee on Child Protection on its work to date and the recommendations contained in the report. I am pleased to see that the Committee is recommending that the age of consent be set at 16. 16- and 17-year-olds should not be criminalised for consensual sexual activity with their peers."