Councillor proposes removal of VAT on sun cream

A south Sligo councillor has called for VAT on sun cream to be abolished.

Cllr Dara Mulvey said sun protection cream is treated as a cosmetic product and has 23% VAT added to the price.

“Good quality sun cream can be expensive. There are many people working outdoors for their jobs and a good quality sun cream is a daily necessity. Removing the VAT from the price would encourage more use,” he said.

Cllr Mulvey said the cost of staying safe in the sun is becoming excessive for some families.

“For a sunny week, you need at least a 200ml bottle of suncream per person. This could cost €35 per family per week. Although some shops do stock cheaper brands are cheaper brands providing the same coverage and protection?”

He said the number of cancer diagnoses is growing yearly, with over 13,000 new cases every year and the removal of VAT from sun cream would be a help for all families.

"The National Cancer Registry of Ireland (NCRI) expects this number to double by 2040,” he added.