Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Catherine Martin for raising this issue in the Dáil, as well as Senators Bacik, Clifford-Lee, Noone, Walsh, Dolan, Ruane, Warfield, Higgins and Lawlor. This very topical subject has been included in my brief in the past few months. I have had time to reflect on some of the issues raised. I am grateful to the Cathaoirleach and the Senate for bringing the debate to this Chamber. I congratulate the students who were here previously. They have now left, but I commend them on their forward thinking attitude.

I will refer to a few issues, starting with some of the points that have been raised. I thank the women’s caucus for highlighting the period poverty issue, which was also debated in the Dáil last week. It is great to have an opportunity to discuss this. I am sure we would all agree that it deserves more focus and attention in society. Period poverty, the inability to afford female sanitary products, is a serious health and equality issue in many countries worldwide and is something that we as a Government should look at. There can be significant consequences for individual women and girls in missing school, college or work because it is the wrong time of the month and they have issues with paying for products. There are wider effects on society from people missing out on work and education. This affects their ability to reach their full potential. What is more, surveys have shown high levels of shame and embarrassment about periods. This means people feel they cannot talk about their needs, which affects their mental well-being. It is not easy being a teenager at the best of times. Periods are new to young teenage girls and not all of them feel they can talk to a parent, friend or teacher. If they cannot do so, the problem remains unsolved.

As Senator Ruane noted, being unable to change pads or tampons regularly or using the wrong sort of product can increase the risk of infection. There is also an issue with physical activity. We know that teenage girls as a group are not active enough. Anxiety over periods can mean they miss out on more sport, physical education and activities, which is bad for their long-term health and well-being. The cost to a girl or woman of managing periods, arising from the cost of sanitary products and pain relief, has been estimated at more than €200 a year. This cost is faced by women for several decades. Some Senators have previously mentioned this. Period poverty and the anxiety that goes with it are hitting the most vulnerable groups in society, namely, teenage girls, the homeless, women in centres of detention and those who are less well-off. Several other countries have recently been working on plans to address period poverty. These include a recent pledge by the UK to supply products in secondary schools. In recent years, Canada, some US states and India have removed goods and services taxes from sanitary products.

The Minister for Health wrote to the Minister for Finance about VAT rates on sanitary products before budget 2019. In Ireland, tampons and sanitary towels are taxed at 0% VAT. These products were taxed at this rate before an EU VAT harmonisation agreement in the 1990s, at which point Ireland secured an exemption to keep the 0% rate. Unfortunately, newer products are not included in this agreement. This omission must be addressed as soon as possible.

There have been some local initiatives recently to address period poverty. Dublin City Council passed a resolution on period poverty last year and is running a pilot scheme to provide free products in four local recreation centres. Senator Bacik spoke about this. The council intends to expand the scheme if it is successful. I thank the council for its good work in this area.

Period poverty affects inclusion, health and well-being but it is also an equality concern. The cost of products adds to gender inequality and to the inequalities resulting from poverty. However, the Government aims to treat all citizens as equal and to address inequalities. This is a core part of the Healthy Ireland framework.This issue is also relevant to the Government's work to implement our national strategy for women and girls, which is led by our colleagues in the Department of Justice and Equality. Under this important strategy, the Department of Health participates in the implementation committee and is progressing other health policies relating to women's health and well-being. We are also developing a women's health action plan in collaboration with the HSE and the National Women's Council of Ireland.

As a Government, we need to put measures in place to deal with period poverty. I will add on a personal level that both gender and social equality are important. There is no two ways about it - this will require a response across Government as it touches on areas managed by many different Departments. All the main Departments, the HSE and other organisations, such as the National Women's Council of Ireland, are collaborating on the national strategy for women and girls. This is an obvious and useful forum for period poverty measures to be considered. My officials have been in touch with their colleagues in the Department of Justice and Equality, who are in full agreement that period poverty will be discussed within the framework of the national strategy for women and girls. Senator Conway-Walsh brought this up. While it may not be specifically mentioned in the women's and girls' strategy, we have agreed with our officials in the Department of Justice and Equality that period poverty will be on the agenda for the next meeting for the relevant Departments to consider particular actions.

I will reflect on some of the comments that were made during the debate. I grew up in an era when talking about one's sexuality and one's periods was taboo. Even speaking to one's parents was sometimes very difficult. As a young teenager, I crossed many borders talking to young people, particularly in the youth club, about period poverty, their sexuality and other sexual health issues. I believe we have come a long distance since then. Education has changed in this country. The openness to speak out and have a conversation about any sexual health issue is very relevant to young people today. They are not afraid to speak about this. It used to be that it was private, not spoken about and taboo. However, my husband and I know, as our daughters' parents and their children's grandparents, that we all have a huge role to play in talking about children's health, particularly young women's health. Now that men play such a significant role in family life, rearing children for various reasons related to women being at work as well, and that men and women have a more hands-on approach to rearing children, it is imperative that men - and they are doing it - talk to their children at a different age and from a different angle about all their sexual health issues and issues relating to periods and so on. We have come a long way; we have a lot more to finish.

As a Minister of State in the Department of Health, I look forward to contributing to developing actions that tackle period poverty and help women and girls to participate in education, employment, sport and social activities to their full potential. Senator Clifford-Lee asked me to promise something. I will not promise her anything; I will commit to something. This has been ignored and left in the cupboard for long enough now. It is very important that I do anything I can within my remit, and together with the Minister, Deputy Harris, and the Department of Justice and Equality. I will do so. This is not a promise; it is a commitment. There must be action on this, and we as a Government will not oppose the motion.