We have statements to mark Irish AIDS Day which took place two days ago. I welcome the guests in the Gallery. We have a number of guests who are working in this area, namely, Oisín O'Reilly, CEO of Outhouse in Dublin, and Davy Quinlivan from HIV Ireland. I also welcome Eddie McGuinness and Karl Hayden, who are campaigners and also represent Labour LGBTQ+. We have a number of other guests in the Gallery as well. They are very welcome. I welcome the Minister for Health and I invite her to make her opening remarks.

We thank the Minister for her commitment to the issue and for her engagement today in the Seanad, which is much appreciated.

I thank the Minister for coming to the House to discuss this all-important issue. I also thank officials for their commitment. I welcome the guests in the Visitors Gallery.

It is a very important discussion. As the Minister said in her opening statement, we remember those who are no longer with us and who died of HIV and AIDS, and we remember the whole stigma piece. I acknowledge the work that the Minister and her Department have done in bringing in the community care piece with the pharmacies and doctors. That has encouraged awareness. People should not be afraid to be tested, and that is a strong message.

Many of us know people who have died in the past, and we understand the fear factor and the stigma. Even some of their family members were running away from the issue. The fact that we are having an open conversation is a good starting point. HIV Remembrance Day was two days ago. A lot has happened. I compliment everybody who has been involved in highlighting this issue through the years, and those who were not afraid to come forward to discuss and share their own experiences or to highlight issues of remembering people they knew who have passed away.

The fact that the You, Me and HIV campaign focuses on a simple message has ensured it is a strong message and it is something we need to build on. It is about encouraging people. There are still some people who are afraid to come forward or to get tested. It is about giving them the confidence and courage to do that. The fact is that once people are on the treatment, they cannot pass it on to other people, whether a partner or otherwise. That is an important message, but sometimes those messages do not resonate or land with people. They are really important messages that we in the Oireachtas, community pharmacists and doctors need to get across to people. When people come in, they should be assured that help is at hand. That is a strong message.

In the past, the Department has rolled out things like free condoms, advice and leaflets. At that stage, as I said, some people were still running away from it. However, there is now so much emphasis on this and support for people. That is very important. “Support” is a very important word.

Some people still receive a diagnosis each year. The Minister said that 41% of people are diagnosed late, which is quite a high number. That goes back to the fear factor when people were afraid to come forward. A lot has happened since then. The Minister and her Department are working to build on what has happened and where we can go from there. I compliment all involved, but I also remember those who have gone before us. Many families suffered loss, and they did not know what was happening at the time. It is important to think of those families when we are having this debate.

I thank the Minister for coming to the House. I welcome our guests to the Visitors Gallery. When I saw this on the schedule, I decided to come along and speak to the issue of AIDS. Sadly, I will be 60 in August. I did my leaving certificate in 1984. That summer, and in 1985, all of my friends and I went to London, as young guys from Finglas. We went on the ferry and took the train down. I remember it stopped in Rugby at about 3 a.m. and some eejit got off the train and wandered off into the night. That summer, we all began to discover ourselves. Over that summer and the summer of 1986, two of my friends came out. They were able to do that in London in a way they could not in Ireland.

In 1986, I went to New York on a J1 visa. When I was working in New York, I met friends from school and from Finglas, some of whom were able to come out because it was a different environment and they could live an authentic, valid life. In 1987, Prince released the song "Sign o' the Times", which begins "In France, a skinny man died of a big disease". We began to hear of AIDS as a phenomenon. I remember the advertisements on Channel 4 and BBC that had pictures of cliffs crumbling and collapsing down into the sea. We did not really understand the threat, particularly in Ireland because of the intersectional stigma around being gay, which was to engage in what were described in the laws as "homosexual acts"; these were criminal offences. Therefore, we had this awful situation where people who were getting ill could not come out.

One of my friends was named Patrick. I grew up on Ballygall Avenue and he lived in Finglas Park around the corner. We used to play kerbs with footballs outside our houses. He was in London that summer of 1985 and he never came home. He passed away and none of us knew, again, because of that appalling stigma attached to it. The fact is that AIDS can be treated now. I pay tribute to all the people who work with antiretroviral drugs and deal with the community. I want to say this. I remember at the time when this was dominating all the major news platforms, there was a distinction drawn between people who were gay and then people who were infected through blood transfusions or who were haemophiliacs or whatever. There was kind of a hierarchy of suffering and more, if you like, recognition was given to people from outside the LGBTQI community.

A very close member of my family is a medical doctor. She was stabbed with an infected needle in the emergency department in St. James's Hospital in the early 1990s. We went through a period of waiting for the tests to come back to see whether she had she been infected. I understand the fear at that time before there were proper treatments. It was a uniquely cruel disease for those who contracted it because they could see in their own community what was happening and they had watched their friends with the appalling symptoms of sarcoma and struggling for breath. It was a very tough disease.

I want to conclude by saying that I came in this morning and passed by the front of Agriculture House. I saw the rainbow flags up there. I know there is a tiny minority of voices who question why we should put the rainbow colours around the Houses of the Oireachtas. I am delighted to see it because I remember the time when it was hidden. It was stigmatised. It was something that, thankfully, people like David Norris fought so hard to bring out of the framing of it being a criminal act. In celebrating where we are in relation to AIDS, we should not link the two things together too clumsily but we should celebrate our LGBTIQ community and all of our brothers and sisters.

I thank Senator Clonan. I now call our next speaker, Senator Costello from Fianna Fáil.

I thank the Minister for being here today. She generously gives a lot of her time to the Seanad and it is very much appreciated. I welcome the opportunity to speak on Irish AIDS Day. Following on from many of the other speakers, I want to remember those we lost and reiterate that we stand with those who are living with HIV and that we are renewing our commitment to ending new HIV transmissions and tackling the stigma. I have listened to people speaking, especially Senator Clonan. The thing about shame is that I hate the word "shame". Shame is a killer and embarrassment is a killer. When people are made to feel shameful or embarrassed and they do not reach out and cannot be who they are, it is so wrong. I hope we have moved on. I think we have moved on to a certain extent. I have very little time for anybody who puts shame on people for being who they are. I really have no time for that. We have said today that for too long, HIV and AIDS were surrounded by fear and silence. People's real stories never got to be told because of that and the silence kind of spoke. It is good that modern treatment has transformed this and that people can live long and healthy lives.

I want to touch on the latest figures I could get when I was doing a little bit of research, which show that in 2024, 239 people received a first-time HIV diagnosis and 41% were receiving late-stage treatment. Even though it is late-stage treatment, this treatment is still effective. I would not have thought this because we are always told about early diagnosis. Early diagnosis can prevent it being passed on, so early diagnosis is always best, but late-stage diagnosis is hopeful as well. What particularly jumped out at me was that the highest percentage of people who received late-stage diagnoses were over the age of 50, which would lean into the generation who were reared on shame, fear and embarrassment. That is what really frustrates me because it does not have to be like that. I met with the HIV Prevention Alliance whose representatives spoke about women being affected. I met a lady who had HIV. She only got diagnosed over the age of 50, which, again, in my lack of education, did not occur to me. There is definitely more of an education piece because I remember being younger and there was so much education and awareness. Things kind of went quiet. I have seen the odd interview on “The Late Late Show” and there are some amazing advocates, but the whole message, rightly so, is that if it is undetectable, it is untransmissible. That is so important.

I am glad that we talk about stigma and shame, and that we are not allowing it and are pushing back against it. Progressive Ministers, like the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, do so much work on that. I know she and her team are working tirelessly. We have all the tools in Ireland. We have PrEP, we have condoms and we have access to testing, but we have to be timely and people have to be able to feel like they can access it without being judged. I do not think anybody should be afraid, whatever their status, to seek care or speak about their life.

I thank the Senator. Our next speaker is Sinn Féin's Senator McCormack.

I am really delighted to have the opportunity to speak on this today. I have to say that every time Senator Clonan speaks, he educates me. He speaks extremely well in the way he articulates things. I just want to take a moment to say that. He was talking about his friend Patrick in 1985 and how much we have come on from then. He mentioned that the song "Sign o' the Times" came out in 1987, which was the year I was born. It just tells us how much we have come on but how hard that journey has been for people. We have heard the stories and we have heard about the stigma. There still so much of it there, but our job in this House is to make sure we continue every day to keep raising awareness about the progress, treatment, education and stigma.

We must also make sure that everything is brought to light in this Chamber, as was done yesterday evening for the new domestic violence register, and we must leave nothing under the stone any more.

I welcome our visitors to the Gallery. It is great to have them there. Irish AIDS Day is an important opportunity to reflect on the progress that has been made while also recognising the work that still lies ahead. Thanks to significant advances in medicine and treatment, HIV is no longer the diagnosis it once was. People living with HIV can now live long, healthy and fulfilling lives. However, although science has advanced, stigma and discrimination have not disappeared. This is the point that I really wanted to focus on. Too many people still feel unable to speak openly about their diagnosis because of fear of judgment and misunderstanding. No one should have to carry that burden. We must continue to challenge the misinformation that exists, because it does exist, and ensure accurate education and awareness throughout our communities.

As a Senator from Laois, I am particularly conscious of the importance of ensuring equal access to healthcare services for people living in rural and regional communities. Whether someone lives in Portlaoise, Portarlington, Mountmellick, Abbeyleix or a smaller village, they should have the same access to testing, prevention services and specialist support services as someone living up here in the city. Access to free, confidential and easily accessible HIV testing is essential. Early diagnosis saves lives, improves outcomes and reduces onward transmission. We therefore have to make sure everything available in urban areas is also available regionally.

We must continue to support and expand access to preventative measures such as PrEP. The Minister talked about that and I was delighted to hear that she is looking for community pharmacy engagement in that regard. Anything we can do to work prophylactically and prevent an issue from arising is important. Ensuring services are available to everyone who needs them, regardless of where they live, is vital.

Sinn Féin believes healthcare should always be based on need. That is very important. It should not be based on one's eircode, income or background, or whether one has private health insurance; it should be based on need. No one should be disadvantaged because of any of the reasons I have mentioned.

I acknowledge the dedicated work of healthcare professionals, community organisations, advocates and volunteers who support people living with HIV every day and who continue to challenge stigma and promote inclusion. Ireland has committed to ending new HIV transmissions and eliminating HIV-related stigma. These are ambitious but very achievable goals. We need to own this in the Chamber to make sure we do our part to help. Let us recommit ourselves to building an Ireland that is compassionate, informed and inclusive, an Ireland where every person living with HIV is treated with dignity, respect and equality.

I welcome the Minister of State and acknowledge the presence earlier of the Minister for Health and her officials for statements on Irish AIDS Day. I was really pleased to put in a request to have this discussed in the Seanad. I thank the Seanad Office for facilitating this. I had met representatives of the HIV Prevention Alliance in relation to this matter and they asked me what I could do. One thing was to have a debate and statements because raising awareness is important. It is important that those of all parties and none speak out on this issue and on sexual health in general in this country.

Today is an opportunity to remember those we have lost, to stand with those living with a HIV diagnosis and to reflect on the progress Ireland has made and the challenges that still remain. For many, HIV is associated with the fear and uncertainty of the 1980s and 1990s, which many Senators have spoken about so eloquently today. We remember those years and the people who were lost during the AIDS epidemic. We remember the partners, families, friends and carers who stood by their loved ones through extraordinary hardship, often at a time when stigma and silence compounded their suffering.

I want to remember some people in particular who led out the response in Ireland at the time, including Christopher Robson, Bill Foley, Ciaran McKinney and Mick Quinlan, among many others. I cannot name all of them. I also acknowledge our former colleague David Norris, with whom, unfortunately, I did not get to serve, and all the work he did over many decades in raising awareness and breaking down barriers and stigma in Ireland and across the world. We also remember those whose stories never got told and the families, partners and friends who supported loved ones through all the difficult years – those who remained invisible throughout. I think it is important that we bring their plight to light now that we have the opportunity.

The story of HIV in Ireland is about activism, resilience and compassion. It did not happen by accident. Progress does not happen by accident and progress can be rolled back as well. We need to remember that always. We need to keep pushing forward with progress. It happened because people living with HIV, healthcare workers, campaigners, community organisations, ordinary people, families and friends stood up. They refused to accept silence, stigma and exclusion. I thank them for their courage and for continuing in this regard today.

Thanks to extraordinary advances in medicine, HIV is no longer the diagnosis it once was. People living with HIV now, when diagnosed early and even with a later diagnosis if they have access to treatment, can live long, healthy and full lives. We know that people who are undetectable cannot transmit HIV sexually, nor can they pass it on during pregnancy. This message has been said already today, but we can never say it enough: U=U, or undetectable equals untransmittable. This has transformed lives and it should continue to do so. It is one of the greatest public health success stories of our time. We have to acknowledge that. It is a huge public health and medical success story. Science has advanced, but stigma has not completely disappeared. Education remains so important. Public understanding needs to keep pace.

I acknowledge the visitors in the Gallery today. I acknowledge organisations such as Outhouse, HIV Ireland, Teach Solais, Dundalk Outcomers, LINQ, Gay Project in Cork and sexual health centres all across the country for the work that they do. I also acknowledge people like Ger Philpott, who has documented and preserved the experiences of our own LGBTQ+ community at a time when many stories went untold. I thank advocates such as Robbie Lawlor and Enda McGrattan, better known as Veda Lady, who continue their work through Poz Vibe. Through advocacy and public engagement, they have created visibility and community for people living with HIV in this country and are breaking down the stigma and barriers. I also want to acknowledge the great Panti, whose voice has done so much to advance conversations around dignity and inclusion in Ireland in relation to this matter.

Looking to the future, I welcome the comments from the Minister for Health on progress. I particularly welcome the opt-out HIV testing pilots under way at St. James's Hospital and other locations across the country. The initiative needs to be rolled out nationally.

We need greater awareness when it comes to HIV among women. There is a huge misconception about who HIV affects. It can affect anybody in society and does not discriminate. Women make up a growing cohort of people living with HIV in Ireland and this absolutely needs to be publicised. We need more public awareness in relation to this because many women, unfortunately, may not perceive themselves to be at risk when in reality the opposite is the case.

We need to continue to support public awareness campaigns and a health-led approach. I would welcome any update from the Minister of State on the implementation of our sexual health strategy, efforts to reduce late diagnosis, the future of opt-out testing and the steps being taken to tackle HIV-related stigma across our healthcare system and wider society.

My colleague Deputy Maria Sherlock, the Dáil Labour Party spokesperson on health, will be hosting a briefing in July in the audiovisual room in relation to this issue. We need to commit ourselves to continuing to challenge public attitudes, promote awareness and improve public policy. We need to keep progressing and speaking about this matter as much as we can whenever we get the opportunity as public representatives.

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.