Proposed Legislation

Wednesday, 18 September 2013

Questions (1476, 1477, 1559)

Simon Harris

Question:

1476. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Health his plans to regulate sunbed use here; his views on the use of sunbeds by under 18 year olds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38052/13]

View answer

Simon Harris

Question:

1477. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Health the date on which he intends to publish and progress the Public Health (Sunbeds) Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38053/13]

View answer

Thomas Pringle

Question:

1559. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health when he plans to introduce legislation to regulate the use of sunbeds [38519/13]

View answer

Written answers

Minister for Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1476, 1477 and 1559 together.

The Public Health (Sunbeds) Bill has now been drafted. Under the Draft Bill, I propose to make it an offence to sell or hire a sunbed to a person under 18 years of age or allow such a person to use a sunbed on a sunbed premises. Breaches of this core provision will result in prosecution and very significant penalties will be available to the courts in cases of non-compliance.

The Draft Bill provides for a prohibition on sunbed businesses from permitting persons under 18 years of age from purchasing or hiring a sunbed or using a sunbed on a sunbed premises. Other key provisions included in the Bill:-

(i) a prohibition on the unsupervised use of sunbeds in a sunbed premises;

(ii) an exemption for medical purposes;

(iii) control on the remote sale or hire of sunbeds (internet transactions);

(iv) sunbed operators, sellers and hirers will be required to notify the HSE;

(v) a requirement that sunbed operators provide training for staff;

(vi) an enforcement regime and the imposition of penalties for non-compliance;

(vii) an obligation on all sunbed operators to provide protective eyewear to users;

(viii) a requirement that warning signs be displayed in all sunbed premises;

(ix) a prohibition on certain promotional marketing practices;

(x) a requirement on operators to ensure that sunbed users are made fully aware of the potential dangers of sunbed use; and a related provision whereby sunbed users are required to sign to confirm that they have been made so aware.

I am delighted to be in a position to confirm that the drafting of the Bill has been completed and that the Bill has been notified to the EU Commission under the EU Transparency Directive - a process that will take a minimum of 3 months to complete. Following completion of the Commission's process, the Bill will be published and initiated in the Oireachtas.