Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward this timely motion. The Garda has the power to make arrests for possession of unlicensed fireworks. Why does the Garda not take action? Is it that the Garda is under-resourced or are gardaí fearful of going into hostile communities? How do we control fireworks? How do we protect the older community? How do we protect our families, pets and farm animals? An organised effort is needed around Hallowe'en events. Perhaps a licence should be applied for. If gardaí know when an event takes place in their community, they may become involved and controls can then be put in place.

I concur with everything the Deputies from the Rural Independent Group said. The one thing we can take from their contributions is that the answer to everything in any community, city or county is community gardaí and resources. The other thing that solves all problems is gardaí having local information and knowing where they are going, knowing families and knowing their surroundings. How does one prevent crimes and children getting involved in the wrong activities? It is not always the person who buys the fireworks who gets injured. It is often the person who is easily led. How can we help these people? We can help them by providing community gardaí and by policing. The Garda has made a serious effort in recent years to get involved in communities. However, it is massively under-resourced. Gardaí in local areas knowing the local businesses, children and everything about the locale is how one prevents crime. That is how to get communities involved. The community knows the gardaí and the gardaí know the community and they can help guide people through circumstances that may be outside their control. We have all been wild. We have all done things we were not supposed to do but we have got back on the straight and narrow with the help of gardaí and members of the community. They put us on the right track. Local gardaí, local representatives and local people are the answer.

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