Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 317: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the status of legislation making it an offence to have sex with a child under 18 years of age in exchange for money or some other consideration; the status of such practices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25210/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Second Interim Report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Constitutional Amendment on Children is being examined in my Department with a view to Government approval being sought for a particular course of action. One of the recommendations of the Committee is that it should be an offence for adult persons in authority to engage in sexual acts with children under 18 years of age. The question of also making it an offence to offer children money or some other consideration in exchange for engaging in a sexual act will be considered in that context.

Under the law at present, it is an offence to solicit or importune a child under 17 years of age, whether or not for the purposes of prostitution, for the purposes of the commission of an act that would constitute an offence under section 2 or 3 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2006 or referred to in section 2 of the Criminal Law (Rape) (Amendment) Act 1990. Actually engaging in a sexual act with a child under 17 years of age is an offence under section 3 of the 2006 Act.