Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Buttimer for giving me an opportunity to update the House on this matter. Sexual health is a priority for the Department of Health. This was evidenced by the publication of the National Sexual Health Strategy 2015-2020, the first major strategy to tackle this vital area. Good progress has been made with the implementation of the strategy since 2015. The Department of Health, along with the HSE sexual health and crisis pregnancy programme, SHCPP, has worked hard to built important partnerships with a range of community and voluntary groups, all of which are working with us to implement a range of important sexual health initiatives. Work has now begun on a review and refresh of the strategy and this will continue in 2022. The treatment of HIV is a priority item within the strategy. As we approach World AIDS Day, we have a good opportunity to take stock of where we are in the fight against the virus.

In recent years we have seen the launch of two major initiatives to intensify our response to HIV in Ireland. The first of these saw Ireland joining the Fast-Track Cities global initiative, which aims to boost HIV prevention and treatment and to reduce stigma. The implementation of this initiative includes expanded community HIV testing and outreach in key urban areas and centres; targeted outreach to key at-risk groups; public campaigns on stigma reduction and promotion of the PrEP service; and the development of a co-ordination, monitoring and evaluation workstream. Steering groups, which include representation from the Department of Health and the SHCPP, have been established and are now in place. They are working to progress this initiative in the participating cities of Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway. The second initiative was the introduction of a national programme of HIV PrEP. Funding of €5.4 million was secured for PrEP in 2020, including an allocation for the recruitment of additional staff, as Senator Buttimer rightly said. The funding and roll-out of this programme has continued in 2021. While the PrEP service remains fully funded, implementation has been impacted as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. All health services, including STI, HIV and PrEP services, are continuing to face constraints resulting from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. These constraints include attendance by appointment only or online as a result of the need to maintain social distancing, and the necessary redeployment of personnel to diverse Covid-19 related duties which include testing, contact tracing, vaccination and front-line patient care.

The Cork PrEP service commenced in South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital in April 2020. There are 294 PrEP service users registered with the PrEP clinic in the hospital. Existing PrEP users continue to be seen for PrEP review and monitoring as prescriptions are required. The recruitment of a PrEP clinical nurse manager for the service is a priority for the HSE and is actively being pursued. The service closed to new PrEP service users on Monday, 4 October 2021, and will remain closed to new users until the clinical nurse manager is in post.