Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 10 March 2021
819. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 441 of 10 December 2020, if he will clarify the definition of currently registered on the national pre-exposure prophylaxis, PrEP, programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12834/21]
View answer820. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the number of persons registered on the national PrEP programme; the number who are currently using PrEP; the number of prescriptions for PrEP written in the past three months for persons registered on the programme; the number of prescriptions for PrEP written in the past six months for persons registered on the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12835/21]
View answer821. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the period that registration is counted as current for the PrEP programme; the reason that a registration would no longer be counted as current for persons who are registered on the national PrEP programme; the actions that are required to extend a current registration; the actions that are required to renew a registration that is no longer current; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12836/21]
View answer822. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the number of persons counted as currently registered on the national PrEP programme; the number of persons newly registered on the programme from October 2019 to date, by month, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12837/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 819 to 822, inclusive, together.
The roll-out of the national PrEP programme was a significant landmark in the implementation of the National Sexual Health Strategy, 2015-2020. The PrEP programme was launched in November 2019 and funding of €5.4 million was secured in 2020, including allocations for the recruitment of additional staff. The 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 and over 2,000 individuals, mostly gay men, are currently registered.
Phone lines, the GMHS website and other resources such as www.man2man.ie and www.sexualwellbeing.ie are regularly updated to reflect current service delivery and to signpost users to the HSE list of approved PrEP services.
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.
With regard to the detailed statistical data sought, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
