Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 15 April 2014

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health

Public Health (Sunbeds) Bill 2013: Committee Stage

5:45 pm

Photo of Caoimhghín Ó CaoláinCaoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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I hope I did better than try in this respect; I hope I made the case explicitly clear for everybody. There is no doubt in my mind, and I cannot believe there is a doubt in minds of others here, regarding the use of the word "safe" in this legislation in the context of the employment of sunbeds. It is a contradiction in terms. We are sowing the seed of further difficulties that will present when we will want to revisit this issue at some point in time in the future, which I believe we should.

On the point the Minister made regarding the word "authorised", we are not talking about the authorisation of premises. The inclusion of my amendment would read "the authorised use of sunbeds" - it is not about the premises. The wording of the subsection is "training leading to a qualification". Training is absolutely essential. I understand fully what while sunbed use is allowed that those who are employed in its use by paying customers, or whatever the case may be, must have the highest qualification. They must be the best informed possible in order to ensure the best protections that can be secured or available, but we are looking here at the authorisation of the use of sunbeds as against the premises. I am not hung up on the word "authorisation" or the word "authorised" if that is something that presents a problem. I am not prepared to accept that we are in any way restricted by EU this, that or the other. This is about our moving forward our domestic legislation in order to protect those under the age of 18 in the first instance.