Irish Aids Day 2026: Statements Seanad Éireann — 2026-06-17 ============================================================ Kieran O'Donnell (FG), Limerick City I thank the Members for their genuine and thoughtful contributions. I join with the Senators and welcome the advocacy groups in the Public Gallery, including HIV Ireland, Outreach and LGBT campaigners. There are probably many others so forgive me if I do not namecheck everyone, but I acknowledge the work they do. I welcome them to Leinster House and to the Seanad. Today the House had an opportunity to reflect on HIV and AIDS in Ireland. I thank everyone who has participated in this discussion. The Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, gave the opening statement and listened to many of the contributions. We have officials here as well. It is something we take seriously and we are proactively working on it. The Minister will look at the rest of the debate when it has concluded. I take the opportunity to thank our community organisations, healthcare professionals, advocates, volunteers and most importantly the people living with HIV, whose experience and voices continue to guide and strengthen our response. Today has been a day of reflection, learning and remembrance, but it has also been a day of renewal. Throughout our discussions one message has emerged again and again - Ireland has come a long way. People have acknowledged that in the Chamber. There was a time when a HIV diagnosis was viewed with great fear, a fear that in many cases outweighed facts but was nevertheless a huge fear. There was a time when people living with HIV felt isolated, invisible and unsupported. Thanks to decades of advocacy, scientific advances and community leadership Ireland has made progress. However, as was acknowledged, we also have a lot more to do. Today people living with HIV can access highly effective treatment. They can live long and healthy lives. They can work, raise families, pursue their ambitions and contribute to every part of Irish society. Effective treatment means HIV can no longer be passed on to partners where viral suppression is achieved. That was alluded to by other speakers. That is one of the greatest public health success stories of our generation, as Senator Harmon also alluded to. Yet, we have also heard today why our work is not finished. Too many people fear testing, or encounter barriers in accessing services and are still diagnosed late. Too many people continue to encounter stigma, misinformation and discrimination. Too many people face barriers when seeking prevention, treatment or support. Given our rapidly growing population, services can come under pressure. We acknowledge that. Our challenges are about access, but also equality, inclusion, dignity and respect. The good news is that we are not starting from scratch. Ireland has a clear national roadmap for improving HIV awareness, testing, diagnostics, treatment and supports for people living with HIV. Our new national sexual health strategy and the international commitments to which Ireland is signatory commit to eliminating HIV transmission. We have community organisations and healthcare professionals who have decades of experience in preventing HIV, and in supporting and treating those living with HIV. We have inspiring community leaders living with HIV whose resilience and advocacy continue to inspire change for the better. Knowledge matters and accurate information saves lives. Every conversation, radio or TV advert or website that challenges the misinformation helps move us forward and compassion does matter. Stigma thrives in silence and judgment. It is overcome through understanding, empathy and human connection. Every discussion that encourages testing may make a bigger difference than we know. Many thanks are again due to the Poz Vibe Tribe and the HSE team that made the you, me and HIV campaign such a success. Awareness is improving and this work builds on that completed by previous generations. We celebrate that today. Action matters, and strategies, commitments and ambitions become realities when they are supported by work, time, investment and partnership. Hope also matters. The history of HIV up to the 1990s was too often one of tragedy. Now, it is also a story of extraordinary courage and progress. It is a story of communities who refuse to be ignored, of scientists who refused to give up and of communities, activities and healthcare professionals who cared for those living with HIV and campaigned for more effective prevention strategies. It is also the story of people living with HIV, who transformed our understanding through their determination and openness. As we leave here today, let us carry forward the spirit of Irish AIDS Day. Let us continue challenging stigma, supporting those living with HIV and working to make testing, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and wider supports more available. Let us continue working together towards a future where new HIV transmissions are eliminated and where nobody is defined by their diagnosis. The Ireland we see today would not have been possible without people who believed change was possible long before it became reality. A mission has always been at the heart of progress. We have listened carefully to everything raised in the House today and I thank all Members for their continued engagement on this important matter. These discussions will inform our HIV action plan, on which work has commenced. I look forward, with my colleagues in the Department of Health and the HSE, to engaging further on our action plan in the months to come. I thank those in the Public Gallery for helping to build a healthier, fairer and more compassionate Ireland. I thank the Members for the contributions and look forward to further engagement on this very important matter. --- Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted. Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-06-17/debate/main Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:55:04+00:00 Sitting date: 2026-06-17