Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 30 Oct 1996

Vol. 470 No. 7

Written Answers. - Dangers of Tattooing.

Willie O'Dea

Ceist:

103 Mr. O'Dea asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the dangers to health that arise from the practice of tattooing when proper hygiene standards are not adhered to; the examination, if any, of these dangers which has been undertaken; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that the Infectious Diseases Regulations, 1981, are not being adhered to in this regard and that unregulated, unsupervised tattoo artists are setting up in business in several urban centres; the proposals, if any, he has to regulate such practices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19951/96]

Minister for Health (Mr. Noonan,

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 the establishment and management of tattoo parlours. However, it is my intention to request the health boards to visit tattoo parlours and for this purpose my Department is drafting a guide to good practice for tattooing. This guide will principally deal with the prevention of the spread of infection.