Dan Neville (Limerick, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the delegates. I found the presentation on stigma very interesting. It is a live issue in the area of mental health which has been a particular focus of mine for many years. It is a difficult one in which to make inroads. However, inroads are being made, although there is a long way to go.

There are many who say it is not possible to destigmatise a particular illness. I refer to TB and how it was destigmatised, as also happened in the case of cancer which was known as the big "C". Why cannot mental illness and HIV be destigmatised? Have the organisations looked at the Government's plan, See Change, and considered addressing the destigmatising of HIV in a similar manner? The former Minister of State, Mr. John Moloney, did a great deal of good work in this regard. Destigmatisation of HIV is key.

I found Mr. Foley's presentation very interesting. To be honest, I was unaware that home testing was available, even though I had been reading information from GLEN for many years. If I was unaware of it, many of the people who should be aware of it - as we all should be - are not aware of it. There is perhaps a need for greater promotion of the availability of home testing kits.