Marie Sherlock (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am very glad to speak on this important Bill at this sitting. While it is fair to say that there are many of us on this side of the Chamber who may have done it quite differently in terms of the Bill itself, and we have pointed to gaps and missed opportunities, nonetheless this is a very important and positive debate.

A lot has been said this evening, and at the conclusion of this debate I want my message to be that there is a onus now, on Government party Senators in particular and indeed the Minister, to ensure that there is no delay in getting this Bill to the Committee on Health and that the amendments which my colleague, Senator Moynihan, the Labour Party and other parties will put forward to flesh out this Bill and make it workable will be taken on board quickly so that the Bill is implemented and enacted by the middle of this year. We can have all the lovely words in the world, pat ourselves on the back, say that we are talking about this issue and putting it centre stage, but at the end of the day, unless we actually see action, it will have no use.

I pay particular tribute to my colleague, Senator Moynihan, because she has talked about this issue for years within Dublin City Council, ensuring that €100,000 was put in place for period products across every institution. There is no point in having motions or Bills if they do not do something because what is at stake is affording dignity to girls and women of all ages in what is a part of all our lives.

We have spoken a lot about period poverty and rightfully so, but it is important to talk about the need for universal access to period products. We should not profile who we think may need them, because need happens in all sorts of houses and environments. Indeed, many in this Chamber may well have found themselves in that place. My clear call is for the Government to get on with this. There was a huge rush to get this Bill here today. There should be no excuse for not seeing this enacted by the middle of this year.