Frank Feighan (Fine Gael)

I join my colleagues, Senators Bannon and Phelan, in seeking a debate on the NCT centres. I raised this issue last year. It has arisen time and again in various areas.

I agree with Senator Finucane that we should debate the fact that although fireworks are illegal, they are widely available. Public awareness campaigns highlighting the dangers of fireworks have failed and the House should acknowledge that fact. Last year I spent Hallowe'en in Dublin and, like every small town in the country, it was like downtown Baghdad. There were hundreds of thousands of breaches of the law. Many children and parents have been injured by fireworks. The House should call for the law to be enforced to ensure that illegal traders who sell fireworks are made responsible for the harm they cause.