Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I want to begin by acknowledging World AIDS Day, which the Minister of State has done. I want us to remember, grieve and celebrate all the people who were claimed by the disease. More than 35 million people have died from AIDS-related illnesses since the beginning of that epidemic. I want to acknowledge the emotional cost to the many who survived and dodged the virus as they watched, counted and stopped counting the number of their friends and chosen family who were claimed by the disease.

I was in Áras an Uachtaráin on World AIDS Day in 2017 when the President, Michael D. Higgins, said, "Those who suffered the most in the 1980s were those exposed not only to a prejudice born of misunderstanding of HIV and AIDS, but also to other forms of social oppression which were, and are, too often manifested in our society." So many of the people I am proud to remember fought incredibly hard for many of the services that we have today. They also fought incredibly hard for the right to live free from the church and State, along with the right to access services such as the one I have asked the Minister of State to make a statement on today.

These types of services are incredibly important. Last year, there were 536 new cases of HIV in Ireland. According to HIV Ireland, men who have sex with men are the group most affected by HIV in Ireland, accounting for 56% of diagnoses in 2018. However, the Gay Mens Health Service, GMHS, is the only sexual health service which has not reopened. The sexual health services which are open are oversubscribed. The closure of GMHS will have an impact on the transmission of HIV and sexually transmitted infections, STIs, which will disproportionately affect gay and bisexual men.

Will the Minister of State do everything he can to help GMHS to reopen as a matter of priority? Between 15 and 20 LGBT organisations have written to the HSE and launched a petition live online on this matter.

Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Warfield for raising this issue. I am aware of the petition which has been launched.

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. We have made good progress with implementation of the strategy since 2015. The Department of Health, along with the HSE's sexual health and crisis pregnancy programme, have worked hard to build important partnerships with a range of community and voluntary groups, all of which are working with us to implement and progress a range of important sexual health initiatives.

One area of concern to us all continues to be the rise in new diagnoses of HIV and other STIs. Last year saw the launch of several major actions to combat these rising rates of infection. These actions include Ireland joining the HIV Fast-Track Cities initiative, which includes enhanced access to HIV testing, along with the roll-out of a national HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis programme, which involves the pre-emptive use of low dose anti-retroviral medication to prevent HIV infection.

The Covid-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented interruptions to normal healthcare activity with most services affected, including STI clinics. Virtual clinics are being deployed where possible with attendance in person limited to appointment only. Service restrictions are predominantly due to social distancing requirements as waiting rooms can now only hold a fraction of patients compared with before the pandemic. Priority is being given to those with symptoms or requiring testing and treatment.

I am advised by the HSE and community health organisation, CHO 6, that the closure of GMHS relates to the necessary redeployment of personnel to Covid-19 testing and contact tracing duties. Work is ongoing with other services, stakeholders and community groups in order to provide the best possible service to GMHS service users under the circumstances.

Agreement has been reached with St. James Hospital's genito-urinary infectious diseases clinic, GUIDE, that all GMHS pre-exposure prophylaxis programme users will be facilitated there for follow-up appointments. Phonelines, the GMHS website and other resources such as man2man.ieand sexualwellbeing.ieare regularly updated to reflect current service delivery and to signpost users to the HSE list of approved pre-exposure prophylaxis programme services.

At a national level, the HSE advises that staff recruitment is ongoing with regard to the dedicated provision of Covid-19 services. It is envisaged that this will enable staff redeployed to Covid-19 related duties from other health services, including GMHS, to return to their respective positions and resume service delivery as soon as the circumstances permit.

Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State will appreciate that the HSE has been talking about staff recruitment for a long time. If he cannot answer it now, he can write to me. Who is responsible? Is it senior management in the HSE or CHO 6 which is responsible for GMHS reopening? Is the agency responsible committed to its prioritisation for its return? What is the actual update on Covid-19 recruitment? When will the Covid staff be hired and when will GMHS staff be freed up and the service reopened? Will this be a priority once staff for Covid-19 testing are hired?

Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I would like to highlight, in more detail, some of the recent actions of my Department and the HSE with regard to tackling HIV infection.

The most significant development in 2019 was the introduction of a national programme of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis which involves the pre-emptive use of anti-retroviral medication to prevent HIV infection within a holistic prevention service which includes regular monitoring and testing, as well as advice and counselling on safer sex practices. Funding of €5.4 million was provided in 2020 to allow full national roll-out and to fund the additional staff and other resources required to provide the HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis programme within a broader sexual health and HIV prevention programme.

These are landmark programmes and welcome additions to our work in reducing the number of people who contract HIV in future. I reiterate our intention to reopen GMHS as soon as the Covid-19 circumstances permit.I appreciate people are anxious to get these services open as quickly as possible, as are the staff in the Department and the HSE. I thank the Senator for raising this important issue.