Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 June 2014
168. Deputy Gerald Nash asked the Minister for Health if he will take measures to regulate the tattoo and piercing industry; his views that regulation is required to protect the health and safety of customers and artists working in the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24974/14]
View answerTattooing and body piercing businesses are not the subject of specific legislation in Ireland. However, these businesses are required to comply with general public health and safety legislation in the same way as any other business.
The responsibilities of all business operators include taking all reasonable precautions for the safety of persons using the premises. The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005 imposes a duty on employers to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the safety, health and welfare at work of employees.
High standards of hygiene are necessary when carrying out tattooing and body piercing in order to minimise the risks of infection for both the person carrying out the tattooing and/or piercing and the client. Standard Infection Control Procedures were developed for the healthcare setting but they can and should be applied to any settings where there is a potential for persons to be exposed to blood or other body fluids including tattooing and body piercing premises. It is also advisable that persons carrying out the procedures receive Hepatitis B vaccination.
My Department and the HSE are currently reviewing policy regarding tattooing and body piercing. In the first instance, the focus is on the development of a best practice guidance document aimed at practitioners in the area. The main objective of this guidance is to encourage best hygiene practice by tattooists and piercers, thereby minimising the risk of infection and so protecting them and their clients.
The draft guidance document has been the subject of consultation within the health sector and it is expected that my Department and the HSE will be in a position to bring the guidance to completion later this year.
