Vol. 469 No. 1
209 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there are currently no regulations on or controls over the operation of tattoo parlours; if his attention has further been drawn to the dangers of infectious diseases being spread through tattooing; and if he will introduce, as a matter of urgency, health regulations to deal with this problem. [16428/96]
Limerick East): Health boards are statutorily responsible for the control of infectious diseases. Under the Infectious Diseases Regulations, 1981, health boards are empowered, where there is reason to believe that a probable source of infection exists, to carry out an investigation and take such steps as are necessary or desirable for investigating the nature and source of such infection, for preventing the spread of such infection and for removing conditions favourable to such infection. I do not have any proposals at this stage to put in place regulations to deal specifically with tattooing.
