Starting this week, free period products will be provided to learners at Kerry ETB, as part of a new campaign by Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI).

The ‘Worryfree’ campaign will see Kerry 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.

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

“ETBI is delighted Kerry ETB is part of the ‘Worryfree’ initiative," Director of Further Education and Training at ETBI, Dr Fiona Maloney, said. "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.