Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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781. To ask the Minister for Health the rationale behind the HSE decision to suspend services at a service (details supplied) in County Dublin; when these services will resume; the alternative services in place for persons in County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12681/21]

Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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The Gay Men's Health Service is a community STI service and is managed through HSE Community Healthcare East (CHO6).

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an unprecedented interruption to normal healthcare activity, with all services affected. In 2021, all health services continue to face restrictions, as the health system continues to need to prioritise treating those with COVID-19 and rolling out the vaccination programme.

The closure of the GMHS in 2020 related primarily to the necessary redeployment of increasing numbers of personnel to diverse COVID-19 related duties. During the interval in which the GMHS was closed, significant efforts were made to maintain service provision by referring patients to alternative services in Dublin.

Currently, CHO6 are continuing to work to reopen the GMHS on a phased basis. The recruitment of permanent staff is progressing with administration staff in post and IT expansion underway.

Existing PrEP users are now being seen in the GMHS. The Clinic’s Consultant in Infectious Diseases (Gay Men’s Health service (GMHS) and GUIDE Clinic, St James’s Hospital) and other doctors are providing virtual consultations. PrEP service users attend GMHS for STI screening and blood testing. Those with diagnosed STIs or requiring Hepatitis and/or HPV vaccination continue to be treated in GMHS also.

In summary, a phased reintroduction of STI services is currently under way in GMHS. All services are being and will continue to be delivered in accordance with current Public Health COVID guidelines. Officials from the Department of Health and the HSE Sexual Health and Crisis Pregnancy Programme are in regular contact with CHO6 to monitor progress regarding the phased reopening of the GMHS.

It should also be noted that phone lines, the GMHS website and other resources such as www.man2man.ie and www.sexualwellbeing.ie are regularly updated to reflect current service delivery and to signpost users to the HSE list of approved STI and PrEP services.