Up to 200 teenagers aged between 15 and 18 will be invited to join regional debates on the age of sexual consent from next month at workshops facilitated by Government officials.
Teenagers who take part will need parental consent before attending the debates, which are expected to take place at private meetings between September and November this year.
The consultation process follows the rushed enactment of legislation at the height of the political controversy surrounding the Government's handling of the statutory rape law this month which raised the age of consent to 17 years.
Officials at the Office of the Minister for Children, Brian Lenihan, say they want to ensure the consultation process will be as wide-ranging as possible and include children from a diverse range of backgrounds. Children are likely to be invited to participate from a range of youth groups and the youth parliament, Dáil na nÓg.
Parental consent will be sought before young people take part in the debate because of the sensitive nature of the discussion, according to Government officials.
Mr Lenihan announced at the beginning of the summer that teenagers would be consulted in tandem with an Oireachtas committee, which is due to debate issues arising from the striking down of the statutory rape law.
The new law treats girls and boys differently by exempting girls under 17 who engage in sexual intercourse from criminal prosecution to avoid stigmatising young teenage mothers. However, boys under 17 face potential criminal prosecution.
The move to involve children in the debate on the issue has been welcomed by groups such as Barnardos and the National Youth Council of Ireland.
They say empowering children to speak on issues that impacted on their lives was a key element of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Mr Lenihan said earlier this summer that "scant attention" had been paid to the views of teenage boys and girls over what they would consider an appropriate age for sexual activity.
"I believe it is important that their voice is heard, and that they have a meaningful input into this national debate," he said. Mr Lenihan said the Government had not ruled out amending the law relating to the age of consent prior to the next general election.
Meanwhile, the new Oireachtas Committee on Child Protection, which was formed in June following the fallout over the statutory rape issue, will decide whether a referendum should be held to deal with issues arising from the controversy.
The committee is chaired by Fianna Fáil TD Peter Power. The members include Minister for Justice Michael McDowell and Mr Lenihan. It is the first time ministers have been nominated to serve as members of an Oireachtas committee and it indicates the delicate political nature of the issue.
The Dáil has mandated the committee to produce a comprehensive report by November 30th.
