Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

It has been suggested that we should have some very light penalty, in the form of a fine only, for teenagers who engage in consensual sex. I will not go down that road for two reasons. First, it would stigmatise unmarried mothers for the first time and, second, even though it would be gender neutral, it would be ineffectual because to fine teenagers €500 , €1,000 or whatever else for consensual sex——

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