The government is to stop funding visits to sexually transmitted disease clinics by people who use prostitutes or who have lots of sexual partners.

These groups no longer count as people at an increased risk of developing an STD and so can no longer attend the clinics free of charge, junior health minister Martin van Rijn said on Wednesday.

The testing service currently costs €30m a year and Van Rijn wants to freeze the budget. The tests will remain free for the under-25s, for homosexuals and people who come from countries considered to be high risk.

Everyone can still get tested via their family doctor, the minister pointed out.