HIV and healthcare equity activists have called on the Irish government to take action against Donald Trump’s freeze on foreign aid. Dozens of protestors gathered outside the Embassy of the United States of America on Tuesday, February 11, describing the recent cuts as “an absolute catastrophe”.
President Trump has suspended billions of dollars in projects supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), claiming that the organisation is stealing taxpayers’ money. Elon Musk further announced that HIV/AIDS relief administered through the agency has been halted globally, with millions losing access to essential medicines.
The move has sparked international outrage, with experts warning it could lead to a surge in infections and outbreaks in vulnerable regions.
View this post on Instagram
Irish activist Robbie Lawlor responded to Trump’s freeze on foreign aid, telling the Dublin protest: “It’s an absolute catastrophe. But it’s not only HIV, it’s TB, it’s malaria, nutritional programmes, it’s educational programmes.
“This is impacting the lives of so many people, and yet we’re not hearing a whimper out of the Irish government. We’re not hearing a whimper out of the European Union.
“So we are here today to say that Ireland needs to step up and it needs to be a leader, and we should convene our EU partners to say that EU should, must come together to overcome this catastrophe that we’re seeing,” he continued.
“When we hear about these numbers, what we’re hearing is just millions of people without treatment, but these are millions of people who will die.
“It is catastrophic, and it’s not happening next week. It’s not happening next year. It’s happening now, and the Irish Government need to act now. That is what this protest is about.”
Dr Nadine Ferris France of the Irish Global Health Network added: “We need collaboration… We have a really strong history of leading as Ireland and we have quite a credibility in terms of diplomacy. So I think bringing those skills to bear and trust, bringing the EU together would be really important. Solidarity is needed more now than ever before.”
© 2025 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.
Support GCN
GCN is a free, vital resource for Ireland’s LGBTQ+ community since 1988.
GCN is a trading name of National LGBT Federation CLG, a registered charity - Charity Number: 20034580.
GCN relies on the generous support of the community and allies to sustain the crucial work that we do. Producing GCN is costly, and, in an industry which has been hugely impacted by rising costs, we need your support to help sustain and grow this vital resource.
Supporting GCN for as little as €1.99 per month will help us continue our work as Ireland’s free, independent LGBTQ+ media.
comments. Please sign in to comment.