Healthy Clare launches Free Period Products pilot project
Clare County Council’s Rural Development Directorate’s Healthy Clare team have been successful in securing €10,000 in funding from the Department of Heath to pilot the Local Authority (LA) Free Period Products initiative.
The provision of period products in public buildings is a recommendation of the draft Period Poverty in Ireland report by the National Strategy for Women and Girls Committee.
As part of this pilot scheme, free period products (tampons and period pads) are available in participating Local Authority owned and publicly accessible buildings including Clare Libraries, Active Ennis facilities and each of the Municipal District Offices.
The list of participating sites will be available on the Clare County Council dedicated webpage, here.
The aim of the pilot project is to destigmatize periods, combat period poverty in the county and de-gender periods.
Ahead of the launch of the pilot project, Cllr Tony O’Brien, Cathaoirleach, Clare County Council, said: “I welcome the availability of free period products in so many of our Local Authority owned and publicly accessible buildings across County Clare.
“These essential products should be freely available in every bathroom facility in Clare, and I believe this initiative will highlight the need for this to become the norm. I understand that this is a pilot project and I believe it will demonstrate the need for a long-term funding commitment to ensure these products are available in public bathrooms all year round.”