An all-party motion calling on the Government to provide free sanitary products for women won overwhelming support in the Dáil on Tuesday. The motion, tabled by the Oireachtas parliamentary women’s caucus, called for the provision of sanitary products and menstrual information in all public buildings, including schools, universities, direct provision centres, refuges, Garda stations, hospitals and prisons. Ireland should work with other EU states to have VAT removed on sanitary products, the motions also proposed. Fine Gael TD Marcella Corcoran Kennedy told the Dáil it was not an issue just for other countries but for Ireland too. The Independent TD for Clare, Michael Harty, told the Chamber that the debate on period poverty was a “sign of the growing confidence and maturity of the Dáil.

Source: The Irish Times March 13, 2019 21:18 UTC