Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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1155. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the closure of applications for the pre-exposure prophylaxis scheme in a number of hospitals (details supplied); the steps he is taking to address this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41881/21]

Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Since November 2019, HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is available, free of charge through the HSE, to those at substantial risk of acquiring HIV through sexual activity. PrEP is delivered through approved services that meet the National Standards for PrEP Service Delivery and is being rolled out in a phased manner. There are currently thirteen public and nine private approved PrEP service providers in Ireland www.sexualwellbeing.ie/getprep.

The roll-out of the national PrEP programme was a significant landmark in the implementation of the National Sexual Health Strategy, 2015-2020. Funding of €5.4 million was secured for PrEP in 2020, including allocations for the recruitment of additional staff. Funding and roll-out of the programme continues in 2021.

Whilst the PrEP programme remains fully funded, implementation has been impacted as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. All health services, including STI/HIV/PrEP services, are continuing to face constraints, resulting from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. These 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.

However, despite Covid-19 related restrictions, the national PrEP programme has continued to expand. At the end of Q1 2021, there was a total of 2,995 persons registered and clinically approved for reimbursement. Data for Q2 2021 is awaited, but has been delayed owing to the recent cyber-attack.

Despite significant service restrictions in 2020/21 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, PrEP services continued to see new and review existing PrEP service users. Many services adapted how they worked, delivering some care on a virtual platform.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the HSE SHCPP has been in regular communication with public STI/PrEP services and community partners, and is working together with HIV Ireland to maintain an updated list of service availability. Information for users on how to access services is available here, www.hivireland.ie/wp-content/uploads/Sexual-Health-Service-Restrictions.pdf.

Services have been working hard to restore and increase service capacity throughout 2021 notwithstanding the challenges faced by the ongoing pandemic, the recent cyber-attack and, most recently, a national Early Infectious Syphilis outbreak.

I advised by the HSE that while two of the four Dublin based services have indicated that they currently need to limit new PrEP appointments, the other two services anticipate some additional capacity in the coming months. Of note, two large Dublin based services have reported an increase in the number of patients not attending their appointments, which has generated some extra capacity but an additional associated workload in determining the needs and wishes of those who have not attended for appointment.

Service users seeking appointments in Dublin should continue to visit service websites for updates on availability or endeavour to contact services to obtain an appointment or be put on a waiting list for an appointment. The full list of approved PrEP services and contact details is available on www.sexualwellbeing.ie/getprep.

Service users are advised to use condoms while they are awaiting an appointment. Condoms are available for free from a range of settings including public STI clinics; NGO and community organisations; and third level institutions, through the National Condom Distribution Service. For more information, please see the 2020 NCDS activity report here:

Regular STI testing is an integral part of care for those taking HIV PrEP. The current availability of free online testing for those in Dublin, Wicklow, Kildare, Cork and Kerry has increased STI testing access. Information on STIs, testing, safer sex and HIV prevention is available on .

Needless to say, funding remains in place for the national PrEP programme and it is hoped that this service can be delivered to its full potential and developed further, once pandemic related constraints on the health service as a whole can be reduced safely.