Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 March 2024
1453. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the scheme to support public sector bodies to purchase vending machines equipped with free period products; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12703/24]
View answerFollowing the publication of a Plan International Survey in 2018, which found that 10% of teenage girls were significantly impacted by period poverty, Private Members’ Motions on the topic were passed in both Houses of the Oireachtas and a sub-committee of the National Strategy for Women and Girls Strategy Committee was set up to consider the issue.
The resulting Period Poverty in Ireland Discussion Paper was published in February, 2021 and can be accessed at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/264f4-period-poverty-in-ireland-discussion-paper-period-poverty-sub-committee-national-strategy-for-women-and-girls-20172020-february-2021/ .
Government has agreed that the recommendations of the Period Poverty in Ireland Discussion Paper be taken into account and that cross-Government, inter-Departmental, inter-agency and societal support for implementation measures should be sought, including from voluntary and private sector organisations that provide services funded by the State, as well as from public service providers.
The Department of Health has established an inter-Departmental Period Poverty Implementation Group ("IG"), with representation from most Government Departments, to achieve cross sectoral input and to co-ordinate oversight of implementation measures recommended by the Discussion Paper. The Group has now met on six occasions, most recently in December 2023. Various bilateral meetings have also been held between officials of this Department, other Government Departments, State agencies and NGOs and representatives of the Scottish Government.
The purpose of the IG is to implement the recommendations of the Discussion Paper; to improve access to period products for those who may need them, and to widen the knowledge base regarding the incidence and impacts of period poverty in Ireland. The Group is overseeing and co-ordinating the roll-out of period dignity measures. These include:
• Expanding provision of free period products in the bathrooms of public buildings and publicly funded services
• Partnering with services and NGOs to provide period products to those most in need
• Supporting the evidence base through further research in this area, through representative surveys
The annual budgetary amount allocated to the Department of Health and HSE for period poverty mitigation has risen from €714,000 in 2022 to €914,000 in 2024. In terms of implementation, the most urgent focus is on supporting those most in need (e.g., the homeless, those living with addiction, minorities including Travellers, Roma and refugees and those experiencing consistent poverty).
The Department of Health and the HSE are progressing implementation of a period dignity support programme through HSE Social Inclusion, with a focus on Travellers and Roma; this commenced with a pilot programme in Community Health Organisation 5 (CHO5, based in the South-East) in 2022.
Following initial positive results, the HSE extended similar supports to other CHOs in the second half of 2022, with additional funding in 2023 and 2024. Depending on numbers of Travellers and Roma in each CHO, some are also widening provision out to other vulnerable groups, working with community organisations and facilities.
The Department have funded 26 Local Authorities and 16 NGOs directly in 2022. 22 local authorities, the Family Resource Centre National Forum (supporting 44 FRCs) and 10 NGOs were supported in 2023. This funding supports the provision of period products in some public buildings and facilities managed by local authorities, as well as supporting family resource centres and charities working with people experiencing homelessness, addiction and/or consistent poverty to provide period products to those in need. Increased funding of €914,000 has been allocated to widen this in 2024.
The Office of Government Procurement launched a Hygiene Supplies and Period Equality Products procurement Framework in June, 2023, supported by the Period Poverty Implementation Group. The Framework is now in place to enable Government Departments, State Agencies and other publicly funded bodies, including schools and the higher education sector, to source period products and no-charge dispensers in a cost-effective manner.
A wide range of products, including those that are sustainable and re-usable, are available through suppliers represented on the Framework, as are dispensers. Access details are available at the following link; www.gov.ie/en/press-release/adbc1-ministers-of-state-naughton-smyth-publish-framework-agreement-that-allows-the-public-sector-to-easily-purchase-period-products/ .
A key recommendation of the Period Poverty in Ireland Discussion Paper was to address the limited evidence base – age groups over 19 were not covered by the Plan International Survey. Therefore, menstrual health and period poverty questions were included in the Healthy Ireland Survey, 2022, published on the 5th December, 2022.
The Survey found that 24% of women (and 35% of 15-24 year-olds) have experienced at least one indicator of period poverty and 51% of women are limited on occasion from participation in daily activities by period symptoms. The Survey can be accessed at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/f9e67-healthy-ireland-survey-2022/ .
The Health Behaviours in School-Aged Children Study (which will be published shortly) also included a module on period poverty; forthcoming results will give us more detailed information on its incidence amongst younger people in schools.
