Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 May 2024
564. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health whether he has any plans to increase awareness about the importance of the use of sun cream in combatting skin cancer; whether he has had any discussions with his counterparts in the Department of Finance regarding what concessions could be made in this area, including a reduction or exclusion of VAT applied to products. [22442/24]
View answerAction 1.4 of the National Skin Cancer Prevention Plan 2023-2026 is "Develop and deliver an annual SunSmart communications plan to raise awareness of skin cancer prevention behaviours".
The SunSmart campaign has run in 2021, 2022, 2023 and is currently running for 2024. The campaign which is lead by HSE Comms, is rolled out across social media, radio and digital audio. Healthy Ireland has co-funded this campaign with the HSE every year, and will be providing €75,000 to co-fund the campaign in 2024.
The key message of the campaign is to follow the SunSmart 5S’s which includes the use of sunscreen as well as other sun protective behaviours.
The SunSmart 5S’s are –
• Slip on clothing that covers your skin such as long sleeves or collared t-shirts.
• Slop on sunscreen on exposed areas, using factor 50+ for children.
• Slap on a wide-brimmed hat. Protect your face, ears and neck.
• Seek shade especially if outdoors between 11am and 3pm.
• Slide on sunglasses to protect your eyes.
The campaign also includes the Get SunSmart! Art competition for primary school- aged children. This competition, now in it’s third year, has this year included pre-school aged children for the first time. The aim of the art competition is to raise awareness of skin protective behaviours in children, and to help them to adopt healthy habits for life.
The SunSmart campaign 2024 also includes a partnership with GAA Cúl Camps. The HSE’s National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) are working with Cúl Camps county co-ordinators to develop a games manual which will incorporate SunSmart messaging into camp activities.
As part of the 2024 campaign, resources were developed including short videos recorded with a dermatologist, giving information on skin cancer prevention, including the use of sunscreen. NCCP is also hosting a webinar on ‘Sunscreen Myths and Facts’ on Wed 22nd May. Speakers will include a dermatologist and a representative from the HPRA.
SunSmart sunscreen dispenser boards with a UV index display have been piloted in outdoor worker and outdoor recreation settings in 2022 and 2023, in a pilot programme being run by NCCP. Sunscreen dispensers help to raise awareness of the importance of using sunscreen and help engage individuals to adopt sun protective behaviours. The pilot programme is being run again in 2024 and is covering approximately 85 different sites around the country including GAA clubs, Family Resource centres, Playgrounds, Youth centres, Community gardens, and Tidy towns.
GAA have also agreed to house SunSmart sunscreen dispenser boards at Croke Park and some regional venues for use by all match spectators during the Summer.
The VAT rating of goods and services is subject to EU VAT law, with which Irish VAT law must comply. In general, the Directive provides that all goods and services are liable to VAT at the standard rate unless they are exempt from VAT or fall within Annex III of the Directive, in respect of which Member States may apply reduced rates of VAT.
Under VAT law, there is no scope for a reduction in the rate of VAT on sunscreen products. The supply of sunscreen products is liable to the standard rate of VAT, currently 23%.
In Ireland the price of sunscreen has reduced in recent years such that cost should not be a barrier to utilisation. The Medicines Management Programme conducted a review of reimbursement of sunscreen and concluded that sunscreen can be purchased at a low cost in many pharmacies and supermarkets.
Sunscreen is not an alternative to covering up with suitable clothing and shade but it does offer additional protection. No sunscreen can provide 100% protection and should be used alongside other protective measures such as clothes, hats, sunglasses and shade.
