Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I start by acknowledging the new role of Senator Kyne. I wish him the best of luck. I am sure he will be excellent in that role. He brings great experience to it. I raise the issue on the front page of the Irish Examiner today, which is an amazing story about skin cancer and the issue of sunbed use. I was shocked to read that 40% of people using sunbeds do so despite knowing the risks. There are 13,000 cases of melanoma every year. It is the most common cancer we have. For sunbeds to still be being used by people when they know the risks is frightening. It does not make sense; I do not get it. I thought this fascination with sunbeds had moved on but obviously it has not. I thought it was an issue ten or 15 years ago, but a major percentage of people still use sunbeds. The risk of getting skin cancer is greatly increased. The figures are frightening. I do not understand how this industry is allowed to operate. It does not make sense. We know we have an issue with skin cancer. I lost my brother many years ago to that disease. We know exactly the issues around it.

We need to be more proactive in this space. We need to do a lot more to try to make sure this is banned. It does not make sense. We need to ban sunbeds and move away from the idea that you can get your skin tanned for a beauty contest or a wedding or whatever. It does not make sense. The costs to society and reality are too much. We need to have a debate with the Minister for Health about his proposals to look at this issue. It is a black and white issue. We have been strong previously regarding smoking. We need to go further when it comes to this issue. We need a debate and the Minister for Health needs to give us his vision to curtail and ban the sunbed industry in particular.