ALLOWING THOSE under the age of 18 to use sunbeds will be illegal under new legislation published by Fianna Fáil.
The party’s health spokesman, Billy Kelleher, said he was bringing forward legislation because the incidence of potentially deadly melanoma is higher in those who use sunbeds before the age of 30.
It is estimated that 20 per cent of the 140,000 sunbed users in Ireland are aged between 15 and 24, with anecdotal evidence that they are used for children as young as seven who are making their First Communion.
Sunbeds have been banned for under-18s in the North since May.
Last year Minister for Health James Reilly secured Cabinet approval for the Public Health (Sunbeds) Bill to be drafted which would put such a ban in place in the Republic. It would make it an offence to allow under-18s use a sunbed in a premises.
It would also make it an offence to sell or rent out a sunbed to an under-18.
The use of sunbeds in unsupervised premises would also be outlawed under the Bill.
However, the legislation has not been progressed since.
Mr Kelleher said he would be introducing Fianna Fáil’s own Bill into the Dáil when it resumes next month because of the Government’s failure to act.
“We are introducing this Bill as the Minister has failed to achieve this objective and is showing a lack of urgency in dealing with the matter.
“I would urge all TDs, but particularly those in Fine Gael and Labour, to support this legislation. Reducing the risk that children are exposed to cancerous radiation is a major public health issue and must be taken seriously,” said Mr Kelleher.
A study carried out in France and Italy and published last month found that sunbeds account for about 5.4 per cent of all cases of malignant melanoma, the worst kind of skin cancer, every year.
There are 8,000 cases of skin cancer in Ireland every year, and the number of cases is rising.
