A sexual consent education programme for students in second level was launched on Tuesday, which includes workshops for teenagers and seminars for parents.

The programme was developed by Active Consent researchers at NUI Galway over the last two years and is aimed at 15- to 17-year-olds. The programme does not say whether anything more than consent is morally necessary before a couple has sex.

It also includes seminars for parents and resources to increase ‘critical skills’ about topics such as body image, pornography and consent. One of the researchers is Kate Dawson who believes in ‘ethical’ pornography.

The programme aims to teach young people how to be knowledgeable and confident about consent, that consent should be “ongoing, mutual and freely given”.

It aims to help young people recognise the impact of gender, alcohol and drugs on sex and to teach the legal meaning of consent.

The programme will offer a 10-credit professional development module from September, as well as consent workshop training for teachers.