Ned O'Sullivan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to House and compliment her and her Department on the very good work that they are doing in this very important area. I agree with her that this debate will help highlight the problem of AIDS and it is hoped it will assist people to come forward and not be afraid of any stigma attached. We had a very pleasant session here just now as we complimented our colleague, Senator Norris, on reaching a very important milestone as the longest serving Senator in the history of the country. He and people like him did fantastic work to remove the stigma that existed around homosexuality in this country and offered great courage and leadership at a time when there was not such understanding and tolerance as there is today. I am sure that there are thousands of people in this country today who owe Senator Norris the fine, open lives that they have been able to lead as gay people.

It is fitting that we should be discussing AIDS today. There should be no stigma attached. It is disease like any other that can and should be treated and we should encourage people to come forward for treatment. I cannot pretend to be in any way expert in this area, but I have here a paper that was prepared by my colleague, Senator Swanick. With the Leas-Chathaoirleach's permission I will read it to the House, though I do not generally like reading scripts.

Fianna Fáil is happy to mark World Aids Day 2017 with its slogan of "Everybody Counts". In 2017 the World Health Organization is highlighting the need for all 36.7 million people living with HIV and those who are vulnerable and affected by the epidemic to reach the goal of universal health coverage. We commemorate World Aids Day to mourn the deaths of more than 35 million people who have died as a result of HIV, a number which rivals that of lives lost in the First World War, remarkable as that seems. This occasion also serves as a way to spread awareness and knowledge of the disease and, finally, as a mark of solidarity towards the tens of millions of people who are fighting the disease all over the world today, including almost 8,000 in Ireland alone.

Under the slogan "Everybody Counts", the World Health Organization will advocate for access to safe, effective, high-quality and affordable medicines, including medicines, diagnostics and other health commodities as well as health care services for people in need, while also ensuring that they are protected against financial risk.At a national level this topic is as prevalent, if not more so, than ever. Record numbers of people were diagnosed with HIV in Ireland last year amid concerns that a growing ambivalence about the disease is putting increasing numbers of people at risk. Today we acknowledge all the progress that has been made in recent times. A recent study by The Lancet suggests that with modern treatment, a 20 year old who begins treatment for the disease may have a life expectancy as high as 76 years, marginally behind that of average life expectancy. In 2000, just 685,000 people living with HIV had access to antiretroviral therapy, by June 2017, around 20.9 million people had access to the life-saving medicine. Such a dramatic scale up could not have happened without the courage and determination of people living with HIV demanding and claiming their rights.

Although we can celebrate such progress we must continue to work towards reducing the prominence of HIV/AIDS in Ireland. Newly-released figures from Ireland's Health Protection Surveillance Centre show that 512 people were diagnosed in 2016, of which 77% were male and 23% female. There are two sides to the continuous rise in the number of infections in Ireland, first and on a positive note, the rise in new diagnosis is partially credited to the improving screening process that has come into play in recent times. Although the main reasons for the rise in the contraction of HIV/AIDS are underlying problems that have been highlighted by international charities as well as experts in the field, such as the use of recreational drugs and engagement in unprotected sexual activity.

During the past number of decades, many people all over the world have been vocal in their efforts to raise awareness of this global problem, such as former world leaders, billionaires and celebrities. We are lucky to have our fair share of Irish representation, who are tirelessly fighting to end the global epidemic. Bono's thoughts on the matter, which were revealed in an interview in The Irish Timeslast year can be condensed as follows:

Battle against AIDS is not a last decade issue. It's going to be the next decade issue.

This quote aptly fits into our present social landscape where collectively the contraction of such diseases is not deemed much of a threat among the younger generation. This is a serious problem that must be addressed. Some weeks ago our colleague, Senator Fintan Warfield, and I commend him, held a briefing on the pre-expose prophylaxis, PrEP. According to a recent article by Una Mullally in The Irish Times,public health experts in Britain are now forecasting the end of the HIV epidemic. Sexual health clinics in London are reporting a 40% drop due to frequent testing, rapid treatment and the game changing drug PrEP, a preventive medication which means that those taking it cannot be infected. However, this may not be available under the HSE payments scheme until 2019. This delay might see up to 8,000 new infections. Health groups have warned about this.

We should use today to praise the work done in efforts to defeat the disease but also to realise that there is a lot of work left to do. I ask the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, and the HSE to continue to ensure that PrEP is available under the HSE payment scheme.

Mar fhocal scoir, many well-known celebrities who shared the fact that they were HIV infected deserve great credit. It was those people who made the likes of me aware of how serious this epidemic was. Many of them have passed to their reward. I think their courage was a good example for all of us. We have to stand together. Where there is an illness of any sort in any sector of our community we all empathise and worry about it. I have no hesitation in saying that my party will support the Minister of State and her Department in every possible way in her good work in this regard.