Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) council have voted in favour of a motion mandating TCDSU to lobby for accessible rapid HIV testing and to lobby for €5,000 to be drawn from the Higher Education Authority (HEA) fund to purchase 500 rapid test kits.
The motion was proposed by TCDSU President Eoin Hand and seconded by TCDSU Communications and Marketing Officer Philly Holmes.
Speaking in favour of the motion, Hand said: “I’ve been in constant contact with HIV Ireland over the past number of months to try and fulfill one of my manifesto points I’m quite passionate about – to allow TCDSU to allocate €5,000 from the HEA funds which will buy approximately 500 rapid HIV testing kits and we will be able to distribute those from TCDSU.”
“I’ve cleared this with HIV Ireland and I’ve done some work with Student Counselling as well.”
Hand described the initiative as a “continuation” of the union’s support for ending the blood donation ban for men who have sex with men.
Speaking in favour of the motion, Holmes said: “I genuinely cannot urge you to vote in favour of this enough. As a member of the LGBT+ community I cannot urge you to support this enough so that people like me can get the healthcare they need.”
TCDSU LGBT Rights Officer Brian Hastings, speaking in favour of the motion said: “It’s so important for the LGBT community in general but even more important in College so please vote in favour.”
The motion noted that current HIV transmission rates in Ireland are approximately double the European average and higher than transmission rates during the height of the AIDS epidemic in Ireland.
The motion also stated that access to HIV-related services in Ireland is currently insufficient and HIV Ireland continues to be underfunded.
Last year, TCDSU voted in favour of starting a campaign to remove the current 12-month ban on men who have sex with men donating blood in the Irish Blood Transfusion Service.
The union is now also mandated to “aim to achieve an individualised risk assessment in place of the 12 month ban”.
Under the current system, men who have had sex with men must wait for 12 months after their last sexual contact before being elible to donate blood in Ireland, even if using a condom or pre or post exposure prophylaxis (PrEP/PEP).
The motion was proposed by then TCDSU LGBTQ+ Rights Officer Thomas O’Neill and was seconded by then Welfare and Equality Officer Aisling Leen.
