Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 5 Nov 1991

Vol. 412 No. 1

Written Answers. - AIDS Education.

Roger T. Garland

Question:

144 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the problem of HIV/AIDS in Ireland is growing at an alarming rate; her views on whether it is crucial that young people be aware to the disease and how to protect themselves from it; if her attention has further been drawn to the fact that the Aids awareness education programme in schools was not evenly run and that some schools made every effort to fulfil their role in advising pupils while other schools were not as interested.

Minister for Education (Mrs. O'Rourke)

The need to ensure that there is full information available in relation to the risks of infection by HIV is fully recognised. My Department are cooperating with the Department of Health in arranging for the provision of information and education to young people in the matter. In this regard I wish to draw the Deputy's attention to my reply to Questions Nos. 9 and 217 on Wednesday, 30 October 1991, when I provided information on the steps being taken.

There is regular and constant contact with schools, via the in-service programme outlined in my reply of 30 October, on the use of the AIDS education resource materials which have been developed. The feedback is that schools are making every effort to provide AIDS education for their pupils with the help of the in-service and the resource materials. The programme of in-service and the use of materials is kept under regular review and it is planned to have a more detailed review when the current phase of the programme is completed in early 1992.