Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)

I thank Senator Nelson Murray for a comprehensive and passionate expression of her concerns on behalf of her constituents. It is clear to me that they are in good hands with the Senator representing them. I will pass on the comments from the Minister for Health, who unfortunately cannot be here. The Minister sends her apologies and has asked me to communicate with the Senator in advance.

I thank the Senator for raising this important matter. Sexual health is a priority for the Department of Health and the Minister is very clear on that. The drafting process for the national sexual health strategy 2025 to 2035 commenced in 2023. The drafting committee included policy, service delivery, and clinical leads working within the Department and the HSE. It was decided that the strategy should incorporate priorities from the programme for Government of 2025, Securing Ireland's Future. These priorities included the commitment to supporting both sexual and women's health. The Senator's query is timely. The strategy and first action plan are at final stages of drafting and are being considered at ministerial level. The Department of Health hopes to be in a position to submit to Government for approval and launch it shortly.

One of the first priorities under the strategy, and the one that is already under way and resourced within the HSE, is to develop an integrated model of care for sexual health services. The model of care will examine the distribution, quality and the depth of sexual health services nationwide, assessing the regional delivery of care and identifying any gaps. It is at that point the issues in County Meath the Senator has outlined really well today would, I hope, be addressed in that context.

The new strategy in the model of care presents potential opportunities to broaden and deepen support for sexual health in line with the commitments included in our programme for Government. This work will be needed. As we all know, we have experienced rapid population growth with accompanying pressures on capacity. The Senator has eloquently identified those pressures with regard to getting access to a GP appointment. The Department of Health is currently scoping the potential to make more services accessible through GPs, family planning clinics, and community pharmacists where feasible, in addition to those provided through the STI and maternity services. Their work to enable better access to free contraception through pharmacies is progressing currently, along with treatments for common conditions.

In sexual health services, free HIV and STI testing and care is available through our network of 23 public STI clinics, six of which are located close to Meath in Dublin, Drogheda, Dundalk and Mullingar. The Senator has identified that but I believe we also need to move beyond just going to STI clinics. That has a certain stigma attached to it, no different to what the Senator has already said. The Senator has identified the complications in relation to the free at-home STI testing service but the service is accessible nationwide and is estimated to have increased testing capacity by around 33%, improving access and allowing STI clinics to prioritise those with symptoms. Service improvements are ongoing. In 2025, an additional €1.35 million has been allocated to free at-home STI testing, HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis PrEP, and the free contraception scheme.

Under the women’s health action plans we have invested additional funding of over €180 million since 2020. New services developed under the action plans include: additional gynaecology, menopause and fertility clinics; post-natal hubs; the free contraception schemes; period dignity supports; and more. As outlined in the programme for Government, we will continue to focus on improving women’s health and LGBTIQ+ sexual and reproductive health. The Department of Health is also supporting the international commitments, such as the sustainable development goals, to which Ireland is a signatory.