Cork councillor to engage with EU on making sun protection products Vat free

Labour councillor Peter Horgan has called on the European Union to take action to allow sun protection factor (SPF) products in Ireland be Vat-free.

It comes as Cork City Council, in partnership with the HSE Southwest and the National Cancer Control Programme, recently launched a new public health initiative to provide free sunscreen dispensers in four city parks.

Mr Horgan raised the matter with his party colleague, TD Marie Sherlock who is the party’s Health Spokesperson, but explained that she was told by government that they could not intervene.

Revenue advised that the Vat rating of goods and services is subject to the requirements of the EU Vat Directive with which Irish Vat law is obliged to comply.

In general, the EU VAT Directive provides that all goods and services are liable to VAT at the standard rate unless they fall within certain listed categories to which Member States may apply a lower rate.

Sunscreens and sun protection factor products are not included in the categories of goods and services to which the EU VAT Directive allows a lower rate to be applied, and so they are liable to Vat at the standard rate.

There is no discretion under the EU Vat Directive for Ireland to apply a reduced rate of Vat to the supply of sunscreens and sun protection factor products, Ms Sherlock was told.

Mr Horgan has said that he will be seeking European engagement on the matter, as he does not believe Irish consumers should be subject to such a levy on a public health product.

He said: “The Irish Cancer Society has highlighted repeatedly that 7 in 10 people say sunscreen is too expensive and 1 in 10 say they don’t wear it because they can’t afford it.

“I intend to seek European action on this through one of my motions in September that Cork City Council will write to the College of European Commissioners and European Vat Committee to specifically seek the inclusion of SPF products in the reduced rate for Members States and to utilise Ireland as a pilot example.

“There are actions we can take rather than shrugging because one section of Europe has failed to take action so far on this public health issue.”