Thousands of Irish children leave school without receiving any formal sex education, it has been claimed.

Speaking to the Irish Independent, a Health Service Executive official who wanted to remain anonymous said that in many cases, youngsters are not even being told basic information such as the age of consent.

"The delivery of sex education in some parts of the country is appalling. There are some areas where only a tiny minority of pupils are receiving sex education," the source told the publication.

A recent report by the Department of Education revealed that many national school teachers avoid the subject, with "personal inhibitions" and a "lack of confidence" being given as the main reasons for this.

Commenting recently, Rebecca Findlay, a spokesperson for the Family Planning Association, said providing children with good sex and relationship advice can help them to make more informed decisions in the future.

Written by Donal Walsh

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