The long overdue publication of the new National Sexual Health Strategy 2025-2035, while welcome, contains some glaring gaps that the Minister must address, according to Social Democrats TD Pádraig Rice.
Deputy Rice, who is the party’s spokesperson on health, said:
“The last strategy, which covered 2015-2020, was understandably extended until the end of 2022 as a result of Covid-19. However, there can be no excuse for the further three-year delay in publishing a new strategy. Clearly, it was not a priority.
“Nonetheless, the new strategy includes many positive commitments, such as developing an action plan to eliminate new HIV transmissions by 2030; widening access to free sexual healthcare in primary care; a new model of care for sexual health; and expanding eligibility for free contraception.
“However, these measures are not matched by funding commitments, nor timelines for delivery. Instead, we got vague commitments to ‘strive towards’, ‘explore’ and ‘widen access’.
“In 2025, we still have 10 counties with no public sexual health clinics – Cavan, Kildare, Kilkenny, Leitrim, Longford, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon and Wicklow. And this strategy is the best the Minister could do?
“One would have to wonder how it took the Department of Health three years to develop such an abstract plan.
“The new strategy repeatedly states that its vague commitments are ‘in line with the principles of Sláintecare’, and that is true. But Sláintecare is not just a convenient brand for the Minister to reference when it suits – it’s about real reform, and we need to see Sláintecare in action, not just in theory.
“The success of the free home STI testing service – following a successful Sláintecare Integration Fund pilot in 2021 – is a key example of Sláintecare in action. Yet we learned at today’s Health Committee that funding to the Sláintecare Integration Innovation Fund – a ringfenced multi-annual fund supporting Sláintecare projects – reduced by 30.5 per cent this year.
“I accept that many of these projects have now been mainstreamed into core HSE allocations, but we are nowhere near full implementation of Sláintecare. Surely we should be progressing more innovative pilot projects, not less.
“In terms of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), we still have almost 900 people on a waiting list for public services, with some waiting over a year. The new strategy states that expanding equitable capacity for PrEP is a priority, but exactly how will it be prioritised? The significant capacity issues in public PrEP services have been known for years – this is not a new problem.
“Finally, it is frankly unforgiveable that this new strategy is so silent on trans healthcare. There are, at best, only passing references to transgender people but no commitment on a new model of care.
“A new trans healthcare model is desperately needed – one which is in line with WHO guidance, under an informed consent model, and delivered in the community. This new strategy does not inspire much confidence that this will be delivered anytime soon.”
June 25, 2025