Ireland has the highest reported rate of gonorrhoea infection of 30 European countries, according to a new report.

The European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) said there has been a “troubling” rise in the most common sexually transmitted diseases across the continent.

Across the 30 countries in 2022, gonorrhoea cases rose by 48 per cent year on year, with syphilis cases up 34 per cent and chlamydia cases rising 16 per cent. Reported cases of other sexually transmitted diseases, including congenital syphilis, also increased substantially.

A record 3,812 cases of gonorrhoea were reported in Ireland in 2022, an increase of almost 60 per cent since 2018.