A new bill tabled in the Rail calls for intimate piercings for people below the age of 18 to be banned.
Fianna Fáil TD Mary Butler has brought forward the Regulation of Intimate Piercing and Tattoo Bill 2018.
According to RTE, the bill would be the ‘first ever regulation of the body art sector, banning tattoos and intimate piercings for under 18 year olds and strengthens health and safety provisions for the industry’.
Ms Butler said the bill would fill “a clear legal void in Ireland through three main measures – ban tattoos for under 18 year olds, ban intimate body piercings for under 18 year olds and strengthen health and safety regulation in the sector.”
As it stands, there is currently no legal age at which a person can get a tattoo or piercing in Ireland, however, most tattoo and piercing studios abide by strict guidelines and have a minimum age of 18. However, there is no regulation of these businesses in Ireland, so it is always recommended to go to a reputable studio with high standards of hygeine.
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The risks associated with tattooing and body piercing can range from acute infections to allergic reactions and can occur when the piercing or tattooing equipment becomes contaminated either from contact with dirty surfaces, dirty hands or from the infected body fluids/blood of either the staff member or a previous client.
Under the proposed legislation, practitioners would not be allowed to carry out intimate piercings which would include tongue and nipple piercings on anyone under 18.
The bill has passed its first stages in the Dail and will be debated in detail at a later stage.