Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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262. To ask the Minister for Health if he is aware of the limits that are placed on the provision of free tests for sexually transmitted diseases (details supplied); if he plans to address this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24562/24]

Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Following a successful initial pilot in Cork, Kerry and Dublin, funded by the Sláintecare Integration Fund in 2021, the free home STI testing service was gradually expanded in 2021-2022, and launched nationally in October, 2022. €3.5m was allocated to support the scheme in 2023.

The scheme has been very successful, adding approximately 33% to national testing capacity. Additional funding of €720,000 to support increasing demand for the scheme has been allocated through Budget 2024, bringing funding this year to €4.22m.

In 2022, through the home STI testing service, over 90,000 kits were dispatched, while preliminary figures for 2023 indicate that just under 110,000 kits were dispatched. Reactive results are detected in approximately 10% of returns on average.

The scheme is reaching many who may have been reluctant to visit STI clinics in person, with more STIs being detected and treated. Those receiving reactive results are referred for further treatment, including to an in-person STI clinic for confirmation of testing results, and treatment where required. Since late 2023, on a pilot basis, users with a positive chlamydia result are offered the option of an online assessment and prescription to a community pharmacy of their choice or referred to a participating clinical service for the appropriate follow up and clinical management.

The National Condom Distribution Scheme supports both STI prevention and accessible contraception for men and their partners. Free condoms can be accessed through the national network of STI clinics, participating charity and NGO partners and on participating 3rd level campuses. Since 2023, free condoms have also been supplied with orders for free home STI testing kits.

Whilst STIs are usually easily treatable when detected early, many STIs can cause serious health issues, if undetected and untreated for longer periods of time. STIs are often asymptomatic. The key prevention messages are to use condoms for vaginal, oral and anal sex, and to get tested if experiencing possible STI symptoms, when changing sexual partners, in the event of having multiple, sequential or overlapping partners or if a partner (or former partner) has been diagnosed with an STI.

The ongoing nationwide STI prevention campaign, through www.sexualwellbeing.ie , promotes condom use and free home STI testing alongside a range of other messages supporting positive sexual health and information on how to access testing, treatment, contraception and other related sexual health services. The Health Protection Surveillance Centre provides weekly and annual reports on rates of STI infection nationally, available through www.hpsc.ie/.

Home STI test kit orders are dispatched from within Ireland; 97% of test kits are dispatched within two working days, with most service users report receiving their test kit within three days of placing their order. Returned samples are also processed within Ireland. STI rates are rising, both nationally and internationally, therefore capacity within the online STI testing scheme is monitored carefully on an ongoing basis.

As this question relates to a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.