Dr. Tony Holohan:

The Senator described it as the core of the issue. We would have to relate those figures to international figures in regard to STIs to see where the country stands, because it needs to be seen in that context.

Deputy Catherine Byrne asked a number of questions on education and access to young people. About three or four years ago I was invited to address Dáil na nÓg on the issue of SDIs and access to sexual health education. That ultimately led to a very important contribution by Dáil na nÓg, representing young people, to the ongoing consideration of the HPV issue at the time, which was an important part of changing the mindsets at a political level in helping to get the necessary decisions to introduce that HPV programme. It would have raised considerable concern about the level of access that people had to education. I am pleased that the Department of Education and Skills is involved with us in the development of this strategy. Officials from the Departments of Education and Skills, and Children and Youth Affairs are also members of the national steering group. We have very good relations, particularly in the context of Healthy Ireland, with the people who are involved in providing services in that regard in the Department of Education and Skills. I might ask Ms O'Flaherty to speak to that in more detail because it is a very important point.

Deputy McLellan asked about the reason for the spike. We outlined some of the reasons. There has been a change in the epidemiology of not just HIV but of STIs in general. There has been a change in the profile of those in whom the incidence is greatest in this country. Some of the reasons obviously relate to changes in behaviour and so on, about which we are all concerned. If we consider chlamydia as a broader SDI issue, an emerging problem we will have, for example, will be in terms of infertility arising as a consequence. Ms O'Flaherty will deal with the trust programme as part of the answer on education. If I have not covered anything else that was not dealt with by Dr. O'Keeffe, I am happy to be pulled up on that.