Just over a quarter of 15-17 year olds report that they have ever had sex, according to a new survey [1] into the 
health of Irish children.
The new study, The Irish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children, carried out in 2010 by the Department of Health and the Health Promotion Research Centre, National University of Ireland, Galway found that 27pc of teenagers in this age bracket had reported having sex.
The research also found that male teens and those from lower social class groups are more likely to report ever having sex.
Social class was represented by SC 1-2, SC 3-4 and SC 5-6 corresponding to high, middle and low social classes, respectively.
Thirty one per cent of boys reported having sex as compared to 23pc of girls. Thirty per cent of boys aged 15-17 in the lowest social class (SC 5-6) reported having sex, compared to 25pc of those in the highest social class (SC 1-2).
For girls, 28pc of those aged 15-17 in the SC 5-6 social class reported having had sex, while by comparison 18pc of girls in the SC 1-2 social class in the same age bracket said they had had sex.
Of those who reported ever having had sex, 93pc said they had used a condom the last time they had sex, with 59pc saying that they had used the birth control pill.
In terms of substance abuse the report found there had been a decrease from 2006 in reports of tobacco, alcohol and cannabis use among school children in Ireland.
Twelve per cent of children said they were currently smoking, with 27pc reporting having ever smoked and having ever smoked, a decline from 2006, when 15pc reported being current smokers and 36pc reported having ever smoked.
Unsurprisingly, there are significant differences in terms of age and social class for both measures of smoking, with older children and those from lower social classes more likely to report both behaviours.
Boys are more likely to report having ever smoked than girls, with a notable drop in ever smoking among older girls (47pc in 2010 vs. 57pc in 2006).
The proportion of 3rd and 4th class children who report that they have ever smoked (3pc) has decreased from 2006 and reports of current smoking status remains the same (1pc) as in 2006.
Boys are more likely than girls to report such behaviours. There are no significant differences across social class groups.
The study also showed a decrease in the level of alcohol consumption among school children in Ireland since 2006 with 46pc of children reporting ever drinking (53pc in 2006) and 21pc reporting being current drinkers (26pc in 2006).
Rates of drunkenness (28pc in 2010 vs. 32pc in 2006) and reports of been drunk in the last 30 days (18pc in 2010 vs. 20pc in 2006) have also decreased.
Age and gender differences are observed for all four measures of alcohol consumption, with older children and boys more likely to report drinking and drunkenness. Children from lower social classes are more likely to report having been ‘really drunk’.