Environmental health officers have renewed a call on Mary Harney to ban the use of sunbeds for those under 18 years of age. It said there was anecdotal information that some children were having sunbed sessions before making their First Holy Communion.
The Environmental Health Officers Association's (EHOA) call, echoed by the Irish Cancer Society, comes amid growing evidence of sunbed usage, according to both organisations. The EHOA said "appropriate health and safety legislation" governing sunbed use must be introduced.
The Minister for Health said last year that she would introduce legislation to ban sunbed usage for under-16s. However, it has now emerged that this legislation will not be passed before the general election. A Department of Health spokeswoman said last night that the legislation was "in the early stages of preparation" but conceded it would not be ready during the lifetime of the current Dáil.
Ann Marie Part, EHOA chairwoman, said although it had welcomed Ms Harney's initial announcement that sunbed use by those aged 16 and under would be banned, her organisation felt this should be extended to those under 18, "to give it gravitas".
The Irish Cancer Society said yesterday it wanted a complete ban on sunbeds. Its surveys have revealed some quite disturbing findings, including that 6 per cent of those under 15 had admitted to using sunbeds.
Ms Part said sunbed operators should have to notify the HSE that they were planning to operate tanning outlets. "They [tanning outlets] are popping up everywhere, from video outlets to health centres," she said. "There should be a minimum standard for all." She also said there should be training for staff who operate the outlets as well as proper structures governing hygiene, safety and maintenance. She said many people were now using sunbeds at home, which was also unregulated.
Ms Part said there was a misconception that by engaging in sunbed sessions, people would avoid burning while on holiday, but this was not the case.