Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Despite warnings from the Minister for Justice, Hallowe'en once again proved to be a torturous ordeal for many people throughout the country, including people in my own county of Tipperary. Weeks before 31 October, there was an ongoing barrage of fireworks in every town, village and city across the country, instilling fear in the elderly, intellectually disabled people, those with autism, young children and animals. Hallowe'en night itself was a living nightmare in many places with our essential service providers being attacked in some areas. There have been reports of fireworks having been thrown at moving vehicles, thrown from bridges, tossed into people's back gardens and even pushed through letterboxes. This is not Hallowe'en fun; it is criminal damage and malice. Fireworks are supposed to be illegal in the Republic of Ireland. Why then are they so freely available? We need a more determined effort to prevent the import of fireworks. We need to be seen to enforce the laws already in existence. We have 12 months to address this issue. I ask that some measures be taken to improve enforcement of the law.

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