Debate contribution: The draft Period Products (Department for Infrastructure Specified Public Service Bodies) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024
Debate contribution by Mr John O'Dowd on .
- MLA
- Mr John O'Dowd
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 28 May 2024
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Executive Committee Business
- Heading
- The draft Period Products (Department for Infrastructure Specified Public Service Bodies) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4492084
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I beg to move
Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle.
I am pleased to bring the statutory rule before the Assembly for approval. The Period Products (Department for Infrastructure Specified Public Bodies) Regulations (NI) 2024 will be made under powers conferred by the Period Products (Free Provision) Act (NI) 2022. The regulations were laid before the Assembly on 24 April 2024 and are subject to the draft affirmative resolution procedure, which is the purpose of our debate today. The regulations will come into operation if approved by the Assembly. Members will be aware that the Act, which creates a legal right of free access to period products across the North, came about as a result of a private Member's Bill brought forward by former SDLP MLA Pat Catney. I commend the vision and drive that he and fellow MLAs brought to the debate and the legislation.
The purpose of the Act and the DFI regulations is to provide vital support to tackle period poverty and dignity by recognising that period products are necessary and essential items that should be made available free of charge and accessible for all persons who need to use them. Under section 2 of the Act, all Departments must specify by regulation which of their public service bodies must establish and maintain arrangements to ensure that period products are obtainable free of charge on their premises. My Department proposes to specify two public service bodies: NI Water and the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company, which is known better under the trading name of Translink. The regulations will, in effect, require NI Water and Translink to provide free period products for members of the public, staff and visitors on their premises. They also provide descriptions of "premises" and "persons" for the purpose of the Act. Products will have to be made available in all staff buildings that are used to deliver services to the public and are normally open to the public. That will comprise all 37 Translink bus and train stations, including the new Belfast Grand Central station, which will open later this year, and NI Water's Silent Valley visitor and education centre. Provision for staff and visitors will also have to be made in all Translink and NI Water administrative accommodation. My Department has liaised with Translink and NI Water as to how the regulations will be implemented on their premises. Both organisations must also carry out, in due course after the regulations come into operation, consultation exercises with product users on the specific arrangements for the free provision of period products on their individual premises. I am pleased with how my Department will contribute to the successful delivery of the House's vision of how period poverty can be addressed, giving those who need to use period products the respect they deserve. I thank Translink and NI Water for their cooperation in introducing this important new service. I also thank the Infrastructure Committee for its prompt scrutiny of the policy and the draft regulations. I commend the motion to the Assembly and ask that the statutory rule be approved.
515 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not qualifying”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.02 (qualifying needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not qualifying).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.73).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- Subject area: Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-qualifying threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.03 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.01 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.73 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.02 | At or below not-qualifying threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues | 0.72 |
| Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups | 0.27 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.01 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 10:28 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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