Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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2348. To ask the Minister for Health to examine the challenges posed by sexually transmitted infections in the State as recent data from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre underscores the need for renewed focus and action; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45651/25]

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Sexual health is a priority for this Government. The National Sexual Health Strategy, 2025-2035 (NSHS) and the first National Sexual Health Action Plan, 2025-2028 (NSHAP) were approved by Government on the 10th of June 2025 and published on 25th June 2025.

The new NSHS includes significant measures to support STI and HIV awareness, prevention, testing, early detection, diagnosis and treatment, following significant increases in incidence in 2022 and 2023. Proposed and ongoing measures include commitments to widen provision of HIV pre and post exposure prophylaxis, free home STI testing, improve access to vaccination and further improve access to free condoms through the National Condom Distribution Scheme, in addition to wider support for information, education, research, monitoring and surveillance.

Additional funding of €550,000 was allocated through Budget 2025, to improve access to HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), bringing the total allocation for PrEP to €6.45m this year. This includes €0.2m for additional PrEP drug costs, and €0.35m for additional staffing in public STI clinics, increasing capacity for in-person PrEP appointments. The additional staffing was supported from July 1st, 2025; posts are currently being filled following recruitment processes.

An additional €600,000 has been allocated to support wider access to home STI testing, given increasing demand for the service, bringing funding for home STI testing to €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.

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

Capacity for these measures had also been expanded in recent years prior to 2025; these cumulative capacity improvements may be yielding some positive results. HPSC reports show rates of the more common STIs reduced by 11% in 2024 in comparison with previous years; summary reports up to the beginning of August, 2025, also available on the HPSC's website, show a continued net reduction in HIV and STI incidence of approximately 8% in comparison with the same time interval in 2024.

The additional capacity provided through the free home testing scheme in particular, which has added approximately 33% of additional testing capacity and is being accessed by groups who may have been reluctant to attend STI clinics in person, may be having some impact.

As the detail of Health Protection Surveillance Centre data is a service matter, I have also asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.