Ms Mairead Coady:

Several comhairlí are currently working on making STI testing clinics available to young people and providing educational leaflets for them. Roscommon Comhairle na nÓg has been working on sexual health for the past year. It has developed a leaflet which contains common facts and fictions relating to STIs. This leaflet should be released within the next few months. Roscommon is also campaigning for funding for a mobile STI testing facility.

On solutions in respect of SPHE and RSE, young people need a consistent relationships and sexual education curriculum that is the same in every second level school. This can be achieved if social, personal and health education teacher training is made mandatory in order to ensure an acceptable teaching standard. Leaving cycle students need more relationships and sexuality education.

In the context of STI clinics, young people need information about services and require access to such services locally. In addition, more services are needed.