Áine Brady (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)

I am replying on behalf of my colleague, Deputy Mary Harney, Minister for Health and Children. I thank Senator Keaveney for raising this matter as it provides me with an opportunity to outline to the House the current state of play with regard to the proposed legislation relating to sunbed use.

In June 2006, A Strategy for Cancer Control in Ireland recommended that "regulation of sunbed use, including restriction to use by adults only, should be put in place". The Department of Health and Children has researched this topic and sourced national and international research on the dangers associated with sunbed use. In addition, the Department has consulted with interested parties and conducted a public consultation on the matter.

In this context the Minister intends to introduce the following measures, subject to Government approval: prohibiting the use of sunbeds by those under 18 years of age; introducing measures relating to the sale or hire of sunbeds; banning commercial sunbed use where such a facility is unsupervised; requiring the placing of warning signs in prominent places on premises where sunbed services are offered to the public; requiring the placing of warning labels on sunbeds, whether for sale or use on business premises; requiring proprietors of sunbed businesses offering sunbed services to register with the HSE; introducing enforcement provision to enable inspections to be carried out and the imposition of penalties for non-compliance; and allowing exemptions in respect of the use of sunbeds for medical use.

It was during the course of last year that the International Agency for Research on Cancer, IARC, which is an expert body under the World Health Organisation, WHO, reclassified sunbed use as a group one carcinogen. This higher risk classification places sunbed use on a par with cigarette smoking. The Department will take this development fully into account in the consideration of the measures it proposes to introduce. The Minister's overriding priority is to prohibit the use of sunbeds by those under 18 years of age.

Prior to the introduction of this legislation, Ireland must comply with the EU transparency directive, which requires member states to notify the EU of draft legislation which might be a technical barrier to trade. It should also be noted that the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment has responsibility for product safety matters generally, which includes appliances for skin exposure to ultraviolet and infra-red radiation, in other words, tanning appliances. Discussions between the two Departments to consider product safety matters arising in the context of the proposed legislation have been initiated.

The progression of the legislation in this area is continuing and will include a final round of consultations with interested parties, finalisation of the regulatory impact assessment and preparation of the draft legislation. The Minister thereafter intends to bring a memorandum to Government for approval.