Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Provisions to mitigate period poverty have been included in the Programme for Government, Securing Ireland's Future. Commitments include:

• Developing a plan to make free period products accessible in more locations (Women’s Health).• Provision of free period products in schools to ensure no student is held back due to period poverty (Education).

The Department of Health established an inter-Departmental Period Poverty Implementation Group (“IG”) in 2021 with representation from most Government Departments. The IG meets 2-3 times yearly; its purpose is to implement the recommendations of the Discussion Paper. Its most recent meeting was in early June, 2025. Its purpose is to achieve cross sectoral input and to co-ordinate oversight of implementation measures recommended by the Period Poverty in Ireland Discussion Paper published in February 2021.

These recommendations were supported by Government and include the following priorities:

• Expanding access to free period products in public buildings and publicly funded services.

• Partnering with services and NGOs to provide free period products to those in need.

• Supporting the evidence base through further research.

• Providing procurement supports.

The Implementation Group has been coordinating implementation across Government and enabling wider access to period products; significant developments include:

• The availability of free period products in most public facing bathrooms across the majority of Government Departments.
• The Hygiene Supplies and Period Equality Products Framework has been in place since June, 2023 and can be accessed by Government Departments, State Agencies and other public bodies through the Buyer Zone, Office of Government Procurement website. A wide variety of no-cost dispensers and re-usable and sustainable products are available through the Framework, in addition to traditional tampons and towels.
• A zero rate of VAT has been applied on newer forms of period products (mooncups, period panties, re-usable towels).
• Menstrual health and period poverty modules have been included in representative Surveys, supporting the evidence base.
• A number of other initiatives have been put in place by other Departments across Government.

In terms of period dignity measures put in place across the health sector and its partnerships, the Department of Health and HSE have been allocated funding for period poverty mitigation, totalling €914,000 in 2025. Annual funding has been in place since 2022 and grant schemes are now well established. The most urgent focus is on reaching those most in need (e.g., the homeless, those living with addiction, minorities including Traveller and Roma women, and those experiencing consistent poverty).

In terms of funding managed directly from the Department of Health, partnerships are in place, renewed annually, with local authorities, the Family Resource Centre National Forum and NGOs. The HSE National Social Inclusion Office is also supporting the 6 Health Regions to provide period dignity supports through their partnerships locally.

In 2025, the Department’s period dignity scheme has supported 24 Local Authorities. 10 NGOs and 46 Family Resource Centres through the FRC National Forum. Initiatives include supply of products through local authority buildings and facilities, family resource centres, community and charity partners, focus groups and local public awareness campaigns, and equipping publicly accessible, national and local government run buildings and facilities (e.g. libraries) with no-cost dispensers and free products in bathrooms.

In terms of expanding the evidence base, the 2022 Healthy Ireland Survey included a module on menstrual health and period poverty. The results indicated that 51% of women currently having periods had missed activities of daily living (e.g. school, college, work, sports, social activities) on occasion because of period symptoms, and that 24% had experienced period poverty.

Similarly, a shorter module on menstrual health and period poverty was included in the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children Study, 2022, which found that 60% of girls old enough to have periods had missed school on occasion because of period symptoms and that 10% were impacted by period poverty.

The Healthy Ireland Survey reports and questionnaires can be accessed at: www.gov.ie/en/healthy-ireland/collections/healthy-ireland-survey-documents/#:~:text=Below%20are%20all%20the%20relevant%20Healthy%20Ireland%20Survey,2015%20-%202023%20are%20available%20here%20on%20data.cso.ie.

The Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children Study can be accessed at: www.universityofgalway.ie/hbsc/hbscireland/.

The Healthy Ireland and HSE National Social Inclusion Office teams have recently set up linked websites on the topics of menstrual health and period poverty/period dignity. The HSE site links to the HSE’s clinical advice on periods and to information leaflets.

The HSE Period Dignity site can be accessed here: www.hse.ie/eng/about/who/primarycare/socialinclusion/about-social-inclusion/news/hse-period-poverty-pilot.html.

The Women’s Health Fund was established in Budget 2021. This annual fund has supported a range of priority service areas for women, including support for additional period dignity funding in 2024 of approximately €80,000. The Programme for Government and Women's Health Action Plans commit to further developing the transformation in women’s health, which has included free contraception and HRT schemes. Both hormonal contraception and HRT can be used to manage period symptoms such as dysmenorrhoea, menorrhagia or pre-menstrual syndrome.

In collaboration with the Women’s Health Taskforce, I am committed to listening to and working for women in order to improve the health experiences and outcomes for women and girls in Ireland.