Longford Westmeath ETB to provide free period products to learners

Free period products will be provided to learners at Longford Westmeath ETB from this week onwards, as part of a new campaign by Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI).

The ‘Worryfree’ campaign will see Longford Westmeath ETB along with seven other ETBs across Ireland provide free, sustainable period products to learners and staff.

The campaign was launched after the publication of the Government’s ‘Period Poverty in Ireland’ report last year, which revealed that around 85,000 women are at risk of period poverty.

ETBI carried out research into period poverty in Ireland to explore how ETBs could help. The ‘Worryfree’ pilot scheme will provide a roadmap for the roll out of the project on a larger scale through the 16 ETBs.

Director of Further Education and Training at ETBI, Dr Fiona Maloney, said: “ETBI is delighted Longford Westmeath ETB is part of the ‘Worryfree’ initiative. We know that period poverty is a problem in Ireland and this campaign will help ensure learners can focus on their education and training programmes without having to worry about the cost of period products. We hope to see this pilot scheme prove successful and for the ‘Worryfree’ campaign to become a permanent fixture in every ETB in Ireland.”

The eight ETBs participating in the pilot scheme are: Longford Westmeath ETB, Tipperary ETB, Donegal ETB, Mayo Sligo Leitrim ETB, Kerry ETB, Dublin and Dun Laoghaire ETB, Cavan and Monaghan ETB and Waterford and Wexford ETB.