Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 302: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will make a statement on the increase in newly diagnosed HIV cases; and if there is a need for the urgent development of a national sexual health strategy as recommended by a group (details supplied). [11554/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) is Ireland's specialist agency for the surveillance of communicable diseases. Case Based Reporting of HIV which allows for the linkage of HIV cases with AIDS cases was introduced in July 2001. The following table sets out the numbers of new cases diagnosed in each year from 2001 to June 2007.

Newly diagnosed HIV infection rates per 100,000 population were at their highest in 2003 at 10.03 per 100,000 population. In 2006 there was an estimated rate of 7.95 newly diagnosed HIV infections per 100,000 population. Current figures reflect the year of diagnosis rather than the year of infection. Rates are population based estimates and reflect an increase in population over recent years.

Since 1999, there has been a general upward trend in the number of HIV infections being reported, with the largest increase seen in heterosexual transmission. The increased immigration of individuals from areas with high incidence of heterosexual HIV infection accounts for a significant proportion of the increase in overall numbers of new HIV diagnoses, and particularly the increase in heterosexual transmission.

Three sub-reports from the Irish Study of Sexual Health and Relationships, which was commissioned by my Department and the Crisis Pregnancy Agency, will be published shortly. The need for further measures to respond to the upward trend in HIV infections will be considered in the light of the findings of these reports.