A plan by a team of UCD students to create a consent app has been branded "disturbing".
A 4th year medicine student sent a request to all those on the college's School of Computer Science email list, looking for someone to develop the app.
The email explained that the app would allow people to "electronically sign/verify pre-made contract before engaging in sex".
It said it was hoped the consent app would fight "the ever growing fear of men being sued post-intercourse".
UCD's Student Union Gender Equality Officer, Jade Wilson, believes the app was being designed for the wrong reasons.
"The primary concern was to protect men from accusations, which really wouldn't be an issue at all if people were adequately educated on consent", she said.
UCD's School of Computer Science says the email was not approved by it, and the university's emailing lists should not have been used to send such a request.
In an email to students it said it wanted to "sincerely apologise" to anyone who was offended by the email.
The school has promised to review how its email lists are used.
Noeleen Blackwell from the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre believes some of the thinking behind the app shows maturity:
"At least it recognises that everybody knows that sex must be consensual", she said.
However, she warned that "there is no thing that will substitute for communication".
Barry Murphy, Students' Union President said:
"This app will not solve any consent related issues. Consent goes a lot further than the click of a button, or two clicks, or three".
"It is about having conversations with people we have sexual experiences with, it's about mutual respect and understanding".
He also pointed out that "everyone's boundaries are different and that feelings can change from moment to moment".
