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New bill proposes ban on tattoos and intimate piercings for under 18s

The Bill has been brought forward by Fianna Fáil public health spokesperson Mary Butler TD.

LEGISLATION HAS BEEN introduced to ban tattoos and intimate piercings for people under the age of 18. 

The Regulation and Intimate Piercing and Tattooing Bill 2018 has been brought forward by Fianna Fáil public health spokesperson Mary Butler TD. 

It is the first statutory regulation of the body art industry in Ireland. 

The bill aims to do three things: 

  • Ban tattoos for people under the age of 18
  • Ban intimate piercings for people under the age of 18
  • Strengthen health and safety regulation in the sector

“There has been a massive increase in the number of tattoo and piercing parlours across the country. However, there is no specific legislation in Ireland and in relation to the regulation of tattooing and body piercing businesses,” Butler said. 

Bulter noted that her own husband is a “tattoo enthusiast” and she understands that “getting a tattoo is a lifelong decision”. 

Setting an age limit of 18 years legislates for what is best in sector practice and targets rogue operators, Butler claimed. 

“Intimate body piercing for children has been banned in Wales amid fears it can lead to health issues and make young people vulnerable to abuse,” she said. 

“Under our bill, practitioners are not allowed to carry out or arrange piercings including to the tongue and breasts on anyone under 18,” she added. 

Ears, noses, navels and eyebrows are not covered by the legislation. 

“Despite the fact that tattoos have exploded in popularity over the past decade, the government has failed to keep pace and ensure strong health and safety standards,” Butler said. 

“We also need to ensure high health and safety standards amongst operators.  

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.

“I have met with representatives from the sector in relation to this bill and the majority of tattoo and piercing parlours operate to high standards and welcome regulation that will remove rogue operators,” she said. 

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46 Comments
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    Mute The Firestarter
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    Feb 21st 2025, 2:57 PM

    The biggest issue lies in the fact that they are never retested once they get in, so they can spend the next 30 years growing to the size of a small house and nothing is done about it.

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    Mute Stiles
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    Feb 21st 2025, 3:29 PM

    @The Firestarter: that wud be body shaming..

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    Mute kaidon sharkey
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    Feb 21st 2025, 3:46 PM

    @Stiles: wouldnt care about body shaming…how are you going to catch anyone if you cant run after ten seconds cause your overweight….the gaurds should have a rigourous fitness test like d army annually to maintain a high standard of fitness

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    Mute P. V. Aglue
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    Feb 21st 2025, 3:48 PM

    @The Firestarter: if you can’t lifter, you don’t shifter

    11
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    Mute St. Mary's Special School
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    Feb 21st 2025, 5:29 PM

    @kaidon sharkey: and a rigorous spelling tests for dummies on here…

    3
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    Mute Stiles
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    Feb 21st 2025, 5:39 PM

    @kaidon sharkey: OK let’s just agree that any garda, or ban garda, has the right to not be body shamed by any man, or woman, but they in themselves have the right, to be a fat man, or woman, and have babies..

    4
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    Mute smatrix mantra
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    Feb 21st 2025, 6:45 PM

    @Stiles: house shaming, even

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    Mute smatrix mantra
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    Feb 21st 2025, 6:46 PM

    @P. V. Aglue: That’s sound advice, thank you!

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    Mute kaidon sharkey
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    Feb 21st 2025, 7:36 PM

    @Stiles: people can do whatever they want…but to be a garda you should be able to be quick on your feet be fit enough for the task at hand…if i was a criminal and the chase was on…i would rather run against the overweight garda then the fit one because i know my chances of getting away would be increased

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    Mute Stiles
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    Feb 21st 2025, 8:29 PM

    @kaidon sharkey: but in the interest of diversity .. we need to make sure every dynamic from our society is represented in our force…. that wud include male and female fattys wud it not? or are you for exclusion of the fat minority ?? oh … youre not raycist of sumtin are ya… ?

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    Mute kaidon sharkey
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    Feb 21st 2025, 8:47 PM

    @Stiles: you need to lay off the drugs lad…harsh reality lad overweight people are not good for policing…alot of fitness involved in that and some people just dont have it…who cares about representation? the best people for the job should be always be ahead of the que no matter what background they come from…for example you hardly expect a 5 ft 6 skin and bones lad to lift a 6ft tank of a man out of a burning house if he was a member of the fire birgade?

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    Mute W Kienan
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    Feb 22nd 2025, 11:39 AM

    @The Firestarter: not as bat as they used to be. A lot of take aways closed in the last couple of years

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    Mute common sense
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    Feb 21st 2025, 2:50 PM

    If a 55 year old politician can do then I’m more than satisfied it’s up to scratch..

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    Mute common sense
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    Feb 21st 2025, 2:51 PM

    @common sense: and getting easier!

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    Mute Brian Hunt
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    Feb 21st 2025, 3:12 PM

    @common sense: The army has an annual fitness test which personnel must pass, and it’s a bit more than a few press-ups, they’re just doubling down on the DEI stuff!

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    Mute Dermot Blaine
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    Feb 21st 2025, 3:16 PM

    @Brian Hunt: the cult has a new buzzword, DEI. One of the proofs to indicate a person is in a cult is that all cultists ape the language of the cult leader. You’ve passed!

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    Mute Brendan O'Brien
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    Feb 21st 2025, 3:17 PM

    @Brian Hunt: DEI? Can you do no better than parroting irrelevant Trumpisms?

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    Mute HisMastersAlibi
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    Feb 21st 2025, 3:44 PM

    @Brian Hunt: how embarrassing to be you,DEI,BAWHAHAHAHA,CHICK TUNT trump lackey XD

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    Mute smatrix mantra
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    Feb 21st 2025, 6:49 PM

    @Brian Hunt: I always confuse DEI and DIY. But I support both.

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    Mute David Jordan
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    Feb 22nd 2025, 2:18 AM

    @Frank Dunne: the world’s strongest man, Tom Stoltman, is autistic and would be a DEI hire. Also, the Israeli IDF deliberately hires autistic people into FIDF, many end up in signal intelligence, mapping, computer security and cryptography…

    https://www.fidf.org/news/spectrum-of-talent-soldiers-on-the-autism-spectrum/

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    Mute Fidgenti
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    Feb 22nd 2025, 10:34 AM

    @Brendan O’Brien: The acronym DEI was not coined by Trump.

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    Mute Sea Spirit
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    Feb 21st 2025, 2:55 PM

    What if a garda fails the fitness test, is the option there to repeat?
    It’s just over the last few years I’ve noticed more members of the force getting quite portly.

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    Mute Shane O Mac
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    Feb 21st 2025, 2:52 PM

    Getting easier, you just couldn’t make it up.

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    Mute Lei tatt
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    Feb 21st 2025, 3:17 PM

    5 pull ups
    5 push ups
    5 sit ups

    You have now passed , and became a tough protector of the Irish law.

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    Mute John Nolan
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    Feb 21st 2025, 5:03 PM

    @Lei tatt: better than no one

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    Mute W Kienan
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    Feb 22nd 2025, 11:40 AM

    @Lei tatt: my hole

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    Mute AnthonyK
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    Feb 21st 2025, 3:32 PM

    Getting easier, and not a fan of O’Callaghan, but fair play that he can do it.

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    Mute aidan martin
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    Feb 21st 2025, 3:41 PM

    Doing everything they can to get anyone iinto the job except, improve pay and conditions ,

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    Mute GERRY MURPHY
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    Feb 21st 2025, 2:53 PM

    You just need a pulse.

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    Mute Daniel Dudek
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    Feb 21st 2025, 3:05 PM

    @GERRY MURPHY: to use PULSE

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    Mute John Smith
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    Feb 21st 2025, 4:58 PM

    If someone wants to be a guard surely they should be very fit ? And able to handle themselves physically?

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    Mute Keego
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    Feb 21st 2025, 3:57 PM

    The fitness test and videos they’ve released is a joke.
    How about pay them more and demand high fitness levels

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    Mute G
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    Feb 21st 2025, 4:30 PM

    Ffs it should be made more difficult. If anything, they could relax the aptitude tests and make the fitness test more stringent.

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    Mute P. V. Aglue
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    Feb 21st 2025, 3:50 PM

    Wait for the this clip to be put to the rocky 4 trading music,

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    Mute Social Guy
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    Feb 21st 2025, 10:11 PM

    Lowering standards to increase engagement is not the answer – that’s not just for the Guards. That applies to every job. Make the job more attractive or make the actual attractiveness of the job known to potential applicants. Attracting poor/unsuitable candidates is a recipe for disaster.

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    Mute Sean Collins
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    Feb 21st 2025, 5:21 PM

    Danny running into the fence in Hot fuzz comes to mind, we need less Danny’s and more Nicholas types

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    Mute Brian Molloy
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    Feb 21st 2025, 9:44 PM

    In all fairness, how strenuous can it be operate a speed camera or checking car tax/insurance

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    Mute W Kienan
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    Feb 22nd 2025, 11:47 AM

    @Brian Molloy: ok…. Till it hits the fan and you’re out of breath after 20 yards
    And what about the 3 gaards that could’nt handle that dirtbird with the sword in tallaght
    Surely there’s a weapon in the Garda car to handle this crap. Where’s the batons gone

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    Mute ken white
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    Feb 21st 2025, 9:39 PM

    Don’t drop the standard,just give a decent wage, and you will get the right people to apply. It’s simple,pay peanuts and you get monkeys

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    Mute Dave Barrett
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    Feb 22nd 2025, 8:30 AM

    Desperation is setting in.

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    Mute Fidgenti
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    Feb 22nd 2025, 10:33 AM

    It must be a great comfort to the denizens of Mount Joy who make use of the exercise yard to know that they’ll be in far better physical shape than their Garda adversaries.
    Must be a lovely feeling for a Garda entering into a hostile and violent situation knowing that their younger colleagues can’t even do push ups or sit ups.

    3
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