Menstrual education is included in Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) across Primary, Junior Cycle and Senior Cycle education.
In the Primary curriculum, menstruation is included under the Health Education strand of the Wellbeing specification.
In Junior cycle and Senior cycle, further opportunities are provided to deepen students’ understanding of reproductive health. In the context of Junior Cycle SPHE this includes learning about fertility and menstruation. Classroom learning materials developed to support the new Junior Cycle SPHE curriculum include lessons specifically designed to empower young people to talk openly about menstruation and to seek support and medical advice if they experience ongoing menstrual-related pain and discomfort that interferes with everyday.
In Senior Cycle SPHE students learn about male and female fertility across the life-cycle. In addition, there is a focus on developing young people’s health literacy skills, which includes building their understanding and confidence in accessing reproductive health information and services.
Menstruation education is also included in the Leaving Certificate Biology course.
The Programme for Government, Securing Ireland’s Future, includes the commitment to provide free period products in schools to ensure no student is held back due to period poverty. My officials are working to advance delivery on this important commitment and considering how funding might be identified that will allow free products to be made available to all post-primary and upper primary schools.
Arising from the work of an inter-departmental group on period poverty led by the Department of Health, the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) has established a procurement framework that includes period products across Governments departments and other bodies. During development of this Framework, at the request of this department, it was arranged that it could be accessed by any primary or post-primary school.
My Department will continue to participate in the work of the inter-departmental group and work to ensure the Programme for Government commitment is progressed.
