A State funded website offering advice to teenagers has defended its decision to post information on the site about threesomes. 

The spokesperson for Spunout.ie Ian Power, says it is important for teenagers to be informed about sexual issues.

But the move has been criticised by some Government TDs with Fine Gael deputy Michelle Mulherin saying the information provided is 'incredibly regressive' and 'very worrying'. 

The Mayo TD said she would raise the issue of state-funding for the site with the Health Minister in the Dáil in the coming week.

But Mr Power says it is important for teenagers to have access to information about how to handle problems in sexual relationships. 

Spunout.ie released a full statement on their website:

Young people are having sex whether the Sunday Independent or Deputy Michelle Mulherin like it or not.
Some of them are having sex with more than one person, and sometimes with more than one person at the one time.
Research shows the average age at which teens start to engage in sexual activity is getting younger, particularly in urban areas. HSE data from 2006 (which is now seven years old) shows the average age at which a young person has sex for the first time is 17 (both male and female).
Education needs to begin earlier than the age of first sex and it is widely accepted that sexual education in Irish schools is both of poor quality and inconsistent.
Research by the HSE shows that young people who receive a detailed and quality sex education actually wait longer to have sex for the first time.
SpunOut.ie exists to provide balanced, reliable and responsible information for 16 to 25 year olds only. The age of consent in Northern Ireland is 16, SpunOut.ie is an all-island charity.
The Sunday Independent wrongly claims we receive €250,000 in state funding. We receive €124,000 in total and this was confirmed with the journalist in question at 11.50am on Saturday March 23rd by phone.
SpunOut.ie believes in the ability of young people to make the right decision for themselves once they have access to quality and reliable information, such as the information provided by our website.
We promote safer sex to reduce the transmission of STIs and unwanted pregnancy.
Young people are bombarded with unrealistic sexual imagery through films and porn, neither of which detail the drawbacks to different forms of sexual activity.
We do not promote threesomes, we arm young people with the facts about them.
We advise young people not to be coerced or pressured into having any form of sex.
All too often, older generations avoid having conversations with their young people about difficult subjects. This is particularly true in relation to sex. Parents feel uncomfortable talking to their children about it and teachers are afraid to raise the subject in the classroom. An adult’s discomfort does not negate a young person’s right to information.
Silence does not breed confidence, instead it creates fear and confusion.
We should arm our young people with the facts and trust them to make responsible decisions.
SpunOut.ie is proud to do just that.