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Irish Times
a day ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Sunbed business fined for selling session to minor
A judge has imposed a €2,600 penalty on a sunbed business for selling a session to a minor. In the case before Ennis District Court, Judge Alec Gabbett imposed a €1,000 fine and costs of €1,600 on Solcraft Ltd for selling a sunbed session to a girl (15) at its premises Cosmopoli Tan in Shannon, Co Clare , last year. It came after a 'secret shopper' was deployed by the Health Service Executive (HSE) to do a test purchase in Cosmopoli Tan at Unit 7, Block E, Bru Na Sionna, Shannon, on November 26th, 2024. Barry Kelleher, solicitor for the HSE, told the court that on the date 'a 15-year-old child attended at the salon and approached the counter and asked for use of sunbed session'. READ MORE Mr Kelleher said 'the child asked for three minutes of time and she was told that she could get four minutes for the price of three'. Mr Kelleher said the child 'was never asked for her age or ID'. He said the firm has no previous convictions, that the transaction took place and the child left the premises. Solicitor for the firm, John Casey, said the business has a number of notices placed across its premises saying 'No ID, no sunbed'. Mr Kelleher said there was a further inspection of the premises in April this year as there was a report of underage sales continuing. Mr Casey said on that date the company was found to be in compliance. Mr Kelleher said the test purchasers deployed by the HSE don't actually take the sunbed sessions. 'You would need danger money to do that,' the judge said. Mr Kelleher told the court that people aged under 35 who use sunbeds increase their risk of developing melanoma by 75 per cent. The judge said 'children should not be in these premises – that is very straightforward' and he imposed the €1,000 fine as a deterrent to ensure compliance. Asked about the level of enforcement activity under the Public Health (Sunbeds) Act, a HSE spokesman said last month: 'In 2024, 10 fixed payment notices were served and four prosecutions taken by the National Environmental Health Service under the Public Health (Sunbeds) Act 2014. 'Two of the prosecutions were for sales to minors and both were upheld by the court.'
The Sun
05-06-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Sun lounger vigilantes RUINED my holiday, says disabled Brit OAP after fuming tourists were filmed snatching pool towels
A BRIT tourist was left fuming after TikTokers swiped bed towels from a sun lounger she had been given permission to reserve due to her disability. Wheelchair user Elaine Simpson, 77, from Manchester, was staying at the Aquasol Aparthotel near Magaluf with her family to mark her 51st wedding anniversary. 4 4 4 4 But her plans to enjoy the special day by the poolside were ruined after a group of friends nabbed the towels they had used to save their spaces at the permission of hotel staff. Elaine was joined for the trip by her husband and teenage grandkids for a week's break in the sun. But when they arrived, she was put into a hotel room that was five floors up and as far from the pool as they could have been. Because she suffers from chronic arthritis and is in a wheelchair, this made it a challenge to claim a hotel sun bed at opening time. She told the Sun: "We could never have made it down for 9am to get a sunbed. "So we went out to the beach and paid for sunbeds for the whole week." Her anniversary came towards the end of their trip - and she wanted to have one day of being able to enjoy the poolside at the hotel. So she asked reception if they could make an exception to hotel rules and let her reserve a sun bed for that day. "I went to the man on reception and explained the situation," she said. "And he said 'you have my approval to reserve some sunbeds around the pool'." Her teenage grandsons dutifully laid out fresh towels on the sun beds that night so they could save spots for the whole family. But when they arrived in the morning, the towels had been taken and they were once again left without a space - spoiling the relaxing poolside day they had planned. "The only thing that was available apart from that was white plastic chairs, she added. "They were too hard. And I can't lie down on the grass, I've got chronic arthritis." To start with, they were told it had likely been a lifeguard who removed the towels in error. But it later transpired that a group of friends, who were unaware an exception was made for the family, had taken the towels. They had shared a video on TikTok of the lads putting down the towels - who the friends had assumed were tourists attempting to get ahead of the morning rush. The TikTok shows them sneaking down in the dead of night to swipe the towels in what was painted as an act of justice against queue jumpers. Comments on the video lambasted the family for what was perceived as an inconsiderate act of breaking the hotel rules. Elaine told the Sun: "It was vile. My grandsons are 13 and 15, they had no right to post any pictures of them. "They were just trying to look out for me. "They've not right to do that without checking the facts. "What somebody saw, and the truth, are completely different." Elaine said her daughter has since made contact with the TikToker who posted the original video, who apologised profusely for the confusion and took the clip down. But she added that the experience hasn't entirely soured their trip. They plan to go back to the same hotel next August, and hope to arrange a more wheelchair friendly room with staff.
