Starting this week, free period products will be provided to learners at Tipperary ETB, as part of a new campaign by Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI).
The ‘Worryfree’ campaign will see Tipperary ETB along with seven other Education and Training Boards (ETBs) across the country provide free, sustainable period products to learners and staff.
The campaign has been launched following the publication of the Government’s ‘Period Poverty in Ireland’ report last year, which found that up to 85,000 women are at risk of period poverty.
This pilot scheme ‘Worryfree’ will provide a roadmap for the roll out of the project on a larger scale through the 16 ETBs nationwide.
Responding to Government’s announcement on excise duty today, Social Justice Ireland says “while the reduction in excise duty on petrol and diesel should provide some relief, especially for rural dwellers, Government must recognise that in the long-term, blanket solutions such as these do not work for everyone.
Social Justice Ireland says two practical ways to focus on those most impacted by rising costs would be to benchmark core social welfare rates to 27.5 per cent of average weekly earnings and to make the two main tax credits refundable.
This target of 27.5% was set in 2007 but increases in Social welfare payments have not been made to close the gap.
Refunding unused tax credits would benefit an estimated 240,000 people when children and other adults in the household are taken into account with the majority of refunds being in the region of 15 – 19 euros per week.
