Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to discuss this all-important issue. I raised this back in August 2024 and I am raising it again. It is on the removal of VAT from sunscreen products. Sunscreen is considered a cosmetic product whereas in actual fact it is a healthcare product, in that it protects against skin cancer. In Ireland, we have 13,000 diagnoses of skin cancer per year. It is one of the highest numbers in terms of types of cancer diagnoses and it is expected to double by 2045. This is about UV rays. While we do not have as much sun in Ireland as there is in other countries, it is about the rays. Regardless of whether the sun is shining, the rays still get to our skin. The 23% VAT rate raises an issue of people having access to sunscreen. This issue mainly concerns people with fair skin or sensitive skin and people who are on low incomes and cannot afford this luxury, because it is called a luxury product. I know Councillor Dara Mulvey in Sligo raised this issue recently at council level, and a lot of pressure has been coming from healthcare professionals and advocacy groups. I believe it is something we need to look towards because we need to give people access to a preventative measure in the form of sunscreen. A good sunscreen is very expensive, and even more so with VAT.

There is a group called Face the Future Ireland, which is an online store, and I am not encouraging people to shop online, which has reduced the price of its sunscreen by over 20% until October to highlight the high rate of VAT on sunscreen and to encourage people to buy sunscreen.

Are there any moves likely in this regard? I ask because I believe we must forward in a proactive measure to make sure sunscreen is accessible to all.