Or so say the teenagers of Dublin's suburbs. The law dictates that a person must be 17 to legally have sex. But this seemed to come as a surprise to the young people shopping in Blanchardstown last week. Try 14, they said.

Or even 13. Then you're closer to reality.

Huddled in a protective group outside Blanchardstown shopping centre, one group of teenagers giggle when the word 'sex' is used.

They insist that the age of consent doesn't matter to them. It's the last thing on their minds when they're considering intercourse.

"The law doesn't tell me what to do, " says Jenny, a 14-year-old. She raises her chin defiantly.

"I have sex when I want to, not when the law says I can."

Indeed, Jenny is more concerned with practicing safe sex than the legality of it. "My boyfriend is 15 and he went into a pharmacy to buy a box of condoms, and the pharmacist told him to get out of the shop, " she says, blushing as she talks, ignoring the scandalised glances of her friends. "That's totally wrong. It was really embarrassing for him. I mean, we're trying to be responsible and the law is trying to stop us."

Asked what the legal age of consent for all teenagers should be, the group confers before deciding that 16 is a good number. "Even though we all do it before that, " says 16-year-old Donna quickly. "Most girls start having sex at 14 or 15, " she says.

Whatever the reality of teenage life, the group of youngsters . . . for the most part . . . don't advocate underage sex. "I don't think it's ok, " says Donna. "They're doing it because they think they should, which is not a good reason."

The only male of the group, a 15-year-old from Canada, agrees. "It's just like smoking, " he says.

"It's not cool if you're a virgin."

A few yards away, two young mothers are walking with their children, enjoying the sun.

Nikki Daly, 21, from Swords, laughs when she's asked her views on underage sex. "Well, I can hardly give out about it, " she says, "Talk about the pot calling the kettle black." She nods at her little boy, Jamie, who's sitting in his buggy, negotiating his way around an ice-cream cone.

"No, though, seriously, they're too young now, " she says. "Some girls I know are 13 and having sex, and that just shouldn't be allowed. They don't know what they're doing."

Even given the hypothetical example of a 15year-old girl having consensual sex with her 23year-old boyfriend, Nikki remains firm. "The 23-year-old should go to jail, simple as that, " she says. "He shouldn't be able to argue his case, he shouldn't be able to defend himself. He should go to jail."

But Nikki's friend, 20-year-old Debbie Moore from Clonshaugh, disagrees. Balancing her twoyear-old daughter Jade on her shoulder, she speaks quietly. "No, he should be able to fight it out, " she says. "Some girls go into pubs now, and they're drinking and they look much older than they are. A man should be allowed to fight it out in court."

Young girls certainly often dress older and act older than they are, according to Helen Moore and Ciara Lyons, two 14-year-olds from Castleknock.

"They want to go out with older guys, and it's very easy for a girl to lie about her age, " says Helen. "They always dress up and pretend.

That's what everyone does."

The two girls believe that 15 or 16 is an appropriate age to begin having sex. "I think it's kind of up to people themselves, " says Ciara. "I don't think it should be illegal at that age, once they use protection and they want to have sex."

Helen adds that while she wouldn't want to have sex at 14, she knows lots of 13 and 14-yearolds who do start having intercourse at this age.

"The girls are friends with guys, mostly older guys, and then they start going out. But there's no pressure, "she says. "Most girls, if they don't want to do it, they'll just say so and there's no problem."

Walking away from the shopping centre, three friends from Blanchardstown become immediately indignant when the 'A' case and underage sex is mentioned. Ciara Burke, 18, can hardly contain her disgust. "He should be charged with rape and left in jail, " she says. "It's just wrong. Kids don't know anything, they don't know enough, he's just a sicko. He was so old. There's something wrong there. How was he let out?"

Noel Brennan, 21, stands at Ciara's side and gives her a comforting hug. "How did it happen anyway?" he asks. "I mean, my friend's little sister dresses up older than she is, and some of the young ones will go out to pubs and say they're older than they are. But still, you'd know by a girl's body even. I don't mean to be bad, but you'd know straight away. You couldn't say you didn't know."

Both Noel and Ciara say that they lost their virginity when they were 17 and they think this was the right age. "I know it happens much younger, " says Ciara. "They're well younger than that, some of them are 13 or 14. But I don't think that's a good reason to change the law. It should still be illegal, otherwise it's just rape. That's all it is."