Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
TWO OPPOSITION PARTIES have suggested that Ireland start a programme to improve access to sanitary products and increase awareness of menstrual hygiene among girls.
Earlier this month, the Scottish government announced that it would provide free sanitary towels to girls in schools and colleges to tackle “period poverty” – making it the first country in the world to do so.
The programme, which will cost £5.2 million to cater for 395,000 pupils and students was implemented partly because of the UK’s high levels of VAT on sanitary products. There’s a VAT of 5% in the UK, the minimum allowed under EU rules, while in Ireland that rate is 0% (Ireland introduced their rate before EU legislation came into force).
According to the Guardian, a recent survey of more than 2,000 people by Young Scot found that a quarter of Scottish students at school, college or university struggled to access sanitary products.
In Ireland, 50% of girls aged 12-19 responded to say they have experienced issues in paying for sanitary products, according to Plan International.
That same research found that 45% of girls in Scotland have used toilet paper, socks and newspaper during their periods because they could not afford to buy sanitary products.
Local representatives in Scotland said that the programme would contribute towards removing the stigma around periods.
Labour Party equality spokesperson, councillor Deirdre Kingston said that in Ireland, “we know anecdotally that some schools and teachers provide sanitary products to students [on] an ad-hoc basis with no real structure”.
“The government should seek to follow Scotland’s lead and provide free sanitary products to all schools and colleges.”
The Scottish scheme totals in cost to just over €5 million, when you consider that the Government planned to spend €5 million per year on the Strategic Communications Unit, this would be a much more worthy spend for 2019.
Fianna Fáil spokesperson on children and youth affairs, Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee also agreed that the idea of a programme should be explored.
“It’s not unheard of that young women may have no choice but to go without sanitary products to make ends meet. Indeed, some households’ weekly budget cannot stretch far enough to afford the cost of these products; they are luxuries not certainties for too many.
Given the price of rent, the cost of student fees and general living expenses, college students too are running an exceptionally tight budget. It goes without saying that sadly women living in homelessness have severely limited access to these products.
She said she would raise the issue within her parliamentary party and in the Oireachtas when it returns in the coming weeks.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
I suggest all women try a moon cup. Economically, environmentally and performance wise all top marks. 30 Euro is all it costs for a lifetime product. And once you use it, it’s not as icky as you would have thought.
@DaisyMay: Sounds a bit uncomfortable but what the hell would I know about it ¬
@Johnny Mason: ^ dependent on experience of course. LOL
@DaisyMay: have to disagree with you on how icky it is, more specifically how messy it can be to remove and having to find the right kind of public bathroom if you’re out and about when it needs emptying, but I agree with you that economically it obviously the way to go and for the sake of the environment it should probably be promoted too.
@Karen Wellington: buy two maybe? It can be empty it down the toilet and wrapped in toilet roll. I carry a little case. I find it lasts so long I rarely get caught out. But to each their own. I find it awful now that tampons come with a plastic applicator. More waste for no reason
@DaisyMay: in theory yes it’s the most eco solution, but what about young girls only 12 or whatever that aren’t as familiar with their bodies, girls from different cultures who would prefer not to use internal protection, or perhaps don’t have access to clean facilities to sterilise
the cup afterwards – whether they’re living in emergency accommodation and don’t have a kitchen or a shared flat and don’t have the privacy to boil sterilise it.
There’s lots of good reasons to use a cup, but equally a lot of hurdles to it too.
@Niamh: of course but I’m hardly advocating that it’s mandatory. Just that it’s a very excellent alternative to pouring billions of sanitary products into our landfills and oceans.
@DaisyMay: just to add to the encouragement to move to reusable. There are other menstrual cups out there for as little as 10-15 euro, I personally use a Meluna.
@Caitriona Smith: thanks Catriona
@DaisyMay: it’s great for flights and times when you wont be home for hours. I love mine!
One of our great shames, I was surprised reading about this and watching the commercials lately on the media, Television and the likes. These products should really be supplied free of charge they are a serious necessity, for Girls women, who will require them, from around the age of 12 to when they menopause, for maybe 30 years or more, they are not a luxury item, they should at least be covered on a medical card, certainly made available in schools, at the lowest possible cost, maybe an extra payment should be made in the children’s allowance, for menstruating girls. No young girl or woman should be left in a position, where they are deprived of something so vital to them, for lack of been able to afford them.
This of course may open a flood gate, as mothers may start looking for free nappies for their babies, as they could also could be deemed a necessity.
The other side of the coin is that both sanitary towels, tampons, disposable nappies, are among some of the hardest items to break down in landfills, and dispose of
@Peter Dunwoody: My current school provides sanitary pads to the girls when they need them. I just presumed it was the norm. Maybe its just an ETB or DEIS initiative.
@Saorlaith: my Secondary school provided sanitary pads, but only if you can prove that you desperately need them – otherwords known as proving you cannot afford the 2 euro to get them out of the bathroom. They were kept in a cardboard box in a press and contained single pads that were usually about an inch thick and looked more like a nappy than a sanitary pad.
Price is the big issue for all, as they can be 3/4/5€ depending on the size you need. People have commented that they are only a Euro or less in some places like Aldi and Lidl, but they are usually the terrible quality and small sizes that barely last an hour with many women.
It is insane to me that you can get condoms for free in many universities and health facilities but the one product that every single women MUST buy and use for 40-50 years must be paid for every single month.
@Amy Wallis: have to agree, the cheaper ones wouldn’t last if you have heavy periods, I have a clotting disorder so I have to use nighttime towels pretty much all the time, and while the moonccup is a nice suggestion, it’s not practical again for the same reason
@Amy Wallis: This is so true, all the students unions seem to always give out free condoms. They are everywhere, in welcome packs, everywhere
I don’t think the price is the issue when they are on sale for less than a euro a pack in the likes of Tesco and Aldi .
@Siobhán Ni Mhurchú:
Not every teenage girl has loose change to spend hence, money is clearly the problem
@Siobhán Ni Mhurchú:
Not every teenage girl has loose change to spend hence, money is clearly the problem
@Siobhán Ni Mhurchú:
Not every teenage girl has loose change to spend hence, money is clearly the problem
@Siobhán Ni Mhurchú:
Not every teenage girl has spare change to spend, hence, money is clearly the problem
@Siobhán Ni Mhurchú:
Not every teenage girl has spare change to spend, hence, money is clearly the problem
@Dearbhla Jones: then the issue is that they are going to school unprepared not bringing any with them in their bags and not having money wirh them to buy . It’s not a case that parents can’t afford to buy them at all , like what the article is making out . They should be provided free in schools for the girls who get caught out and didn’t bring any money to school with them .
A good place to start would be to look at price fixing and get rid of the so called “pink tax”.
In reality what we have are high taxes on everyday essential items. Make essential items affordable and stop classing items such as tampons, as luxury items.
I’m no woman but I can imagine being on your period is no luxury.
@Gazza Lazza: there is no VAT on Tampons in Ireland, 0%.
@Lisa Byrne: what’s known as the pink tax isn’t an added tax it’s how much more expensive products aimed at women are over their male equivalent.
“I’m not aware of any systematic survey in Ireland, but two low-scale investigations have revealed the existence of a pink tax. One found that the premium paid by women is as follows:
10% more for deodorant
35% more for body wash
78% more for razors
16% more for shaving foam
59% more for facial moisturiser”
http://www.thejournal.ie/readme/pink-tax-girl-ireland-2756670-May2016/
@EillieEs: The difference in the price of razors is ridiculous. I’m not aware of any other basic necessities that is as heavily marketed and branded as women’s razors!
@SC: so, if there is such a discrepancy in the cost of these items, why not buy the male version? Save some money!!
They sell night time large sizes also in all supermarkets for less than one euro and nothing wrong with quality
@Ann Quinn Dunne: so long as you don’t have sensitive skin. Cheaper brands can cause serious napkin rash for people who have sensitive skin. The plastic layer in the cheap ones promotes bacterial growth. Totally impractical for young girls and adults alike.
She walks into the dail, “id like to talk about women’s sanitary care”. all the men; huh?. Women’s problems she replies, all the men go red and agree to the motion without further discussion.
I got hundreds out of my dad growing up for women’s problems, he thought it cost 10 a day :)
Those €1 or less products are crap. Cheaper brands cause serious napkin rash for people who have sensitive skin, creating a different issue. The plastic layer in the cheap ones promote bacterial growth. Totally impractical for young girls and adults alike.. Realistically to fix the problem, we need a reduction in the cost of wipes, cotton pants, tampons, sanitary towels and an education in personal hygiene. Girls need to be taught it’s not embarrassing to buy the products or use them. I remember the mortification us girls felt at the ripping sounds of sanitary towels in secondary school. Also, always need to cut the crap and stop advertising a “happy period.” It’s a miserable time, leave us the feck alone! You’re adding shame to the ones who suffer with pains and hormonal imbalances. FML
Lidl, Aldi and boots own brand are quite cheap.
@edelno5 .: but poor quality
@DaisyMay: not true
@edelno5 .: these chains exist in Scotland too yet many girls and women find the cost prohibitive. I really don’t know why any woman would argue against sanitary products being provided free of charge in schools and colleges.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING NOW!
@Eileen O’Sullivan: Lost?
Is it just me or I am paying attention to Adds, but it seems of late that we have been bombarded with adds pertaining to Sanitary towels or tampons, From ALWAYS to Tampax, Now been a male, and I’ve had number of relationships with women, understood and was always aware of their menstrual cycle, was never even ashamed to go to the store and purchased them, although maybe with the same embarrassment as buying condoms, many of the women disclosed to me that when they got their first period, they were caught off guard, some believing they had harmed themselves, through some activity, didn’t now what was going on. (a serious lack of sex education) many girls more than likely do get caught unaware, and don’t have a sanitary towel available when needed. But watching the ALWAYS add, with the school girls, according to them, maybe tens of thousands of girls, are improvising, in one way or another, or missing school or classes, because they can’t afford to buy said products, or is it just a sales gimmick on their part.
@Peter Dunwoody: I would fully believe them about that claim. Some girls are bed bound with the pains and fear of leakage. It’s a real problem!
http://redboxproject.org
Worth a look at.
You could call it ‘rags to bitches’, or something.
have your say