Sex education for Irish school kids is vital in reducing the number of one-parent families, according to a government minister.

At the beginning of the week, social and family affairs minister Mary Hanafin, highlighted the importance of a relationship and sexuality programme in Irish schools.

Speaking to the Irish Independent, Ms Hanafin was responding to a report entitled Family Figures, Family Dynamics and Family Types in Ireland 1986-2006, which indicated that single parent families had doubled between 1996 and 2006.

Ms Hanafin indicated that the implementation of such a programme was particularly bad in boys' schools.

Of the nature of single parent families, Ms Hanafin said: "It is not really surprising that lone parents are more likely to have a low socio-economic background".

Earlier in February, a Health Service executive official told the Irish Independent that in some cases Irish school kids were not even being told the age of consent.

Written by Donal Walsh

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