Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation
Dail Éireann — 2026-07-16
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Simon Harris (FG), Wicklow

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. She is right about the availability and accessibility, and not having to ask somebody else, particularly somebody who is perhaps in a position of authority, to allow someone to access such an important health product. On foot of her raising the issue, I will engage further with the Minister for education and the Minister for Health.
There are also commitments in the women's health action plan in this area. As the Deputy rightly said, we, as a country, have made good progress on period poverty. We have seen the expansion and roll-out of period products. However, there is more to do in this area.
The DEIS plus plan announced last May included a commitment to fund and provide period products to all DEIS plus schools in the next school year to ensure dignity and that no student is held back due to period poverty. It is intended to expand that provision to all upper primary, post-primary and special schools during the lifetime of this Government. I know from my time as the Minister for higher education that some good work on the issue has been done in our universities and education and training boards, ETBs. On foot of the Deputy raising this, I will stock take on exactly where we are with the roll-out. I am fully in agreement that this is something we need to deliver and try to make progress on in the time ahead.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-07-16/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-27T06:52:17+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-07-16