The Irish Cancer Society has demanded government scrap VAT on sunscreen products with immediate effect.
The calls follow the introduction of free sun protection in the Netherlands in public spaces this summer. The measure is being rolled out in order to address rising levels of skin cancer.
Ireland has one of the highest rates of skin cancer worldwide, with 13,000 diagnoses made each year. CEO of the Irish Cancer Society Averil Power argued that sunscreen is an essential medical product and that government policy should reflect this.
She told RTE's Morning Ireland: "It's treated as a cosmetic product rather than an important medical one. Sunscreens, specifically those with higher SPFs, can be expensive and 20 per cent of that cost is VAT alone."
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Research carried out by the charity found seven out of 10 people consider sunscreen too expensive. Averil argued that the vast majority of skin cancers are preventable and that wider access to sunscreen is needed across society.
She said: "We want sunscreen to be free and widely available so it’s easy to put it on your children and yourself. Prevention is less expensive than a cure, for both the individual and the State."
Figures suggest that skin cancer cases in Ireland could double by 2045. However, Averil said that a changed approach to skin health in Ireland could easily curb these numbers.
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