Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)
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883. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the monetary value of fireworks seized by gardaí in 2021 and to date in 2022; and the number of persons successfully prosecuted for possession of firearms without a valid licence in the same time period, in tabular form. [55337/22]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Fireworks, because they are explosives, are regulated under national and EU legislation and can only be imported into the country under licence and stored and sold in accordance with explosives law.

Government policy restricts the availability of all hazardous fireworks to the general public. Licences under the Explosives Act are issued by my Department only for the importation of fireworks which are to be used in organised displays conducted by professional and competent operators.

Part 6 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006 gives An Garda Síochána the power to make arrests in relation to the possession of unlicensed fireworks. An example of the penalties faced include a fine of up to €10,000 and up to five years imprisonment if convicted of having fireworks in your possession with intent to sell or supply. Igniting fireworks or throwing an ignited firework at a person or property is also liable to the same severe penalty. These penalties demonstrate the seriousness attached to breaches of the legislation governing the importation and use of fireworks.

As the Deputy may be aware, each year in the run up to Halloween, additional efforts are made by An Garda Síochána to combat the illegal importation, sale and use of fireworks, under what is known as Operation Tombola. This year was no different and I have been advised by the Garda Commissioner that Operation Tombola commenced on 01 October. 

I am further advised that, through Operation Tombola, each Regional Assistant Commissioner ensures that appropriate measures are put in place in each Division, to prevent and detect the organised importation for sale of fireworks in the lead up to Halloween.

An Garda Síochána puts in place a range of measures to combat the importation, sale and distribution of illegal fireworks, through intelligence led operations, visits to local car boot sales, searches and seizures of fireworks. They also liaise with local authorities and Fire Services, and identify and remove stockpiles of bonfire material and abandoned vehicles from locations.

Operation Tombola also focuses on preventing associated public disorder and anti-social behaviour through the incremental deployment of resources, including Garda Public Order Units where appropriate, to augment local plans. 

I am advised by An Garda Síochána that the number of fireworks incidents recorded,  the number of incidents where a quantity of ‘explosives’ were seized, the number of explosives seized and the estimated value of the seizures for from 2021 to date is as set out in Table 1 below. 

I am also advised by the Court Service that the number of offences and the number of persons in the District Court where convictions have been recorded for the offence of Section 2 of the Firearms Act, 1925, as amended by Section 15 of the Firearms Act 1964, and Section 3 of the Firearms Act 1971, for 2021 and up to September 2022 are as set out in Table 2 below. 

Table 1

Table 2

The Deputy will wish to be aware that the Courts Service can only provide data in relation to where offence codes provided on the system were used by prosecutors. Prosecutors may have used uncoded free text offences and any such offences would not be included in the data provided.

Further, some offences have been sent forward for trial to the Circuit Court.  Unfortunately, I am advised by the Court Service that it is not possible to provide the number of persons convicted in the Circuit Court by specific offence.