MR Padraig Flynn, the EU Commissioner for Social Affairs, yesterday launched a campaign in Brussels to distribute more than 300,000 condoms in Valentine's Day cards, drawing some cutting comments from Green Party MEP, Ms Patricia McKenna.
The condoms form part of the Play Safe in Europe campaign which is part of the overall Europe Against AIDS programme directed by Mr Flynn.
Ms McKenna said: "I am delighted that Padraig Flynn has finally revealed his liberal credentials on the AIDS issue and that he will be prepared to promote condoms wherever he goes in the EU, whether in Castlebar or Copenhagen," Ms McKenna said.
A spokeswoman for Mr Flynn said the Commissioner had been a long term campaigner against AIDS and there was no foundation to Ms McKenna's "constant criticism" of his action on AIDS.
"This is an old chestnut with Patricia McKenna but from our perspective we have never understood where the problem lies," she said. "Mr Flynn has piloted the AIDS awareness programme, spending more on the budget than any of his predecessors and has allocated 50 million ECUs for AIDS awareness."
A second strand to the campaign involves 300 radio stations playing a heart beat over the airwaves just before noon on Valentine's Day. The intention is to show solidarity with people with AIDS and HIV.
Ms McKenna called on RTE and other Irish radio stations to take part in the campaign. RTE said last night it was aware of the campaign but no final decision had been made on whether to run the heart beat.
The programme manager of 98 FM, Mr Craig Boddy, said that he was not aware of the campaign but the heartbeat was "the sort of thing we would get behind".