Written answers
Wednesday, 18 September 2013
Department of Health
Proposed Legislation
Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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1476. To ask 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]
Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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1477. To ask 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]
Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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1559. To ask the Minister for Health when he plans to introduce legislation to regulate the use of sunbeds [38519/13]
James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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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.
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