Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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2274. To ask the Minister for Health if she will ensure access to free PrEP in the Dublin area by expanding the capacity at clinics administering the medicine, given existing clinics are not taking new people; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20038/25]

Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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It is vital that those at risk of HIV infection are encouraged to access regular testing and preventive programmes such as PrEP and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). These measures are key elements towards achieving UN and WHO aims of ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Europe by 2030 and supporting wider national and international commitments, including the Sustainable Development Goals.

A national HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) programme commenced in November 2019, following a HIQA HTA, which concluded that its introduction would be safe, effective, and cost saving. Free PrEP medication is available to individuals who meet clinical eligibility criteria, attending HSE approved PrEP services. These include public PrEP services, delivered through the public network of STI clinics, and some general practice (GP) services and private providers.

There are currently 13 approved public PrEP services, located in public STI clinics, and 17 private or general practitioner (GP) PrEP providers. Appointments at the 13 public PrEP services are free of charge, however, the private providers charge for consultations. The number of people eligible to access PrEP has been expanding since inception, with the number of individuals re-imbursed for PrEP at least once expanding from 1763 in 2020 to 4,419 users by the end of 2024. The population has grown significantly in recent years, and clinical criteria for PrEP eligibility have been widened, increasing the number of people eligible.

While the PrEP service continued to grow in 2023-2024, many PrEP services are reaching (or have reached) capacity and service users are reporting challenges accessing appointments. Additional work is required to understand the extent of the unmet need/demand for PrEP, which has been estimated as circa 30%.

In order to expand PrEP services and provide additional supports to our rapidly growing population, we have been allocated additional funding of €550,000, through Budget 2025, to further support delivery of the PrEP scheme, bringing the total allocation to €6.45m this year. This additional funding is comprised of €0.2m for additional PrEP drug costs, and €0.35m for additional staffing in the public STI clinics from July 2025, which will increase capacity for in-person appointments, once staff are in place.

In order to increase capacity for PrEP, a number of additional measures have been deployed and are being developed, including administrative efficiencies, the use of telephone consultations and use of the free home STI testing scheme for routine tests. In order to increase the number of providers, a PrEP competency framework and eLearning platform has been developed; these can be accessed by GPs with an interest in providing PrEP.

An additional €600,000 has been allocated to support free home STI testing this year, given increasing demand for the service. Funding for home STI testing is €4.82m in 2025. Over 126,000 kits were ordered in 2024, with a return rate of 71% and with just under 10% of returned kits indicating reactive results.

In addition to further funding for both PrEP and for home STI testing in 2025, we are progressing further development of HIV Fast-Track Cities in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway. We are also supporting people living with HIV and countering the stigma they may experience. The HSE launched its new campaign, 'You, Me and HIV' in January, 2025, to raise awareness that people on effective treatment for HIV with an undetectable viral load will not transmit HIV infection to partners; undetectable is equal to untransmissible.

The potential to widen eligibility and access for PrEP and PEP delivery, through the public system, its partnerships and through primary care (analogous to methods of provision in some other jurisdictions), will be considered under the new National Sexual Health Strategy. The new Strategy is at design stage and will be submitted to Government for approval shortly. As stated earlier, funding is in place already for expansion of capacity for PrEP within our network of STI clinics from July, 2025.

The Department of Health and HSE Sexual Health Programme are also working together on plans to fulfil the commitments on HIV supports, including PrEP, in the Programme for Government, Securing Ireland's future.