"INCREASE your profits with the Midas Sunroom" is how manufacturers promote the tanning unit which Mr Sean Kelly used before his death,
The Midas Sunroom, a stand up tanning unit, is one of the best selling of its kind in Ireland. Its manufacturer, European Tanning Systems Ltd, a company in Lower Leeson Street, Dublin, says it is manufactured to European standards.
"It provides a faster, more hygienic and profitable alternative to conventional sunbeds," its advertisement says. The owner of the company was unavailable for comment yesterday.
The unit, which often includes a dressing room, costs up to £8,000 and is produced for both the Irish and European markets.
In Fresh Images tanning and beauty centre in Churchtown where Mr Kelly went for treatment, an hour in the sunroom normally costs £30. A session in the "state of the art" machine is, however, on special offer: if you buy one hour you get another free. One hour, the centre's brochure says, is the equivalent of four hours on a traditional sunbed.
Based on an American model it uses 34 160 watt tubes, similar to all stand up units. In comparison with traditional sunbeds which use an average of 25 100 watt tubes it is brighter, faster and more powerful. If the tubes are new the amount of time spent in a sunroom should be cut dramatically.
Dublin has become an important force in the European tanning industry. Three companies, including Midas, now supply most of the stand up units in Europe. The new models have been on the market for almost five years, although similar units have been on the market in the US for the last decade.
There are about 500 Sunroom units being used in the State. It is believed that over 7,900 traditional sunbeds are also in use.
Yesterday one manufacturer, Mr Sean Featherstone, called for tough controls to monitor the use of the machines. The death of Mr Kelly would be detrimental to the industry, he said. "Sunbeds are safe as long as they are used properly and as long as you have professional people who are aware of the problems some people may have in operating them.
"There is a definite need for a licensing system in Ireland, similar to that operating in Britain.
"In Ireland we have a crazy situation where parents are sending their children to use the machines. In England you cannot go on a sunbed unless you are over the age of 18. There are no controls here," he said.
Consumer organisations have warned of a growing trend in Ireland of parents sending children for tanning sessions before their first Holy Communion and Confirmation ceremony.
Children are considered to be at higher risk of overexposure to UV radiation because their skin is more sensitive.
There are no controls preventing children from using tanning treatment. Yesterday the Minister for Health, Mr Noonan said he had no statutory powers in relation to controlling the use of consumer appliances which could be hazardous, such as sunbeds.
But the Department has advised that sunbeds be used in moderation "and that people should seek the advice of a family doctor before doing so for the first time."
It is estimated that at least 10 per cent of the population use sunbeds regularly. The figure, however, is considerably lower than in other European countries.
In Holland some five million people use a sunbed at least once a year.
For the dedicated fashion follower a healthy looking tan is desirable, but with sun in scarce supply in Ireland, more and more people are ignoring the potential dangers and opting for sunbed treatment.
People who have fair, sensitive skin which burns easily or tans slowly or poorly should not use tanning units. Those taking drugs or cosmetics which are thought to be photo active, those suffering from a skin disorder induced or aggravated by exposure to sunlight or those with a history of skin cancer should not use the machines.