Margaret Cox (Fianna Fail)

I move amendment No. 9:

In page 4, line 5, before "female" to insert "male or".

On behalf of the parents of Ireland, I ask whether it is possible that a 16 year old son who has consensual sex with a 16 year old girl be prosecuted under this legislation. I ask for a guarantee that this will not be the case. If the guarantee is not possible, then this amendment should be added to the section. The Minister of State is right to state that we should not criminalise children and he is right about the spirit of this legislation, but we cannot allow any young woman to have a greater right than a young man. She can take him to court or to the Garda station and she has complete immunity regarding the issue, which is unfair.