Vol. 541 No. 2
925 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the measures that would be necessary to allow a specific standard of firework to be imported and sold here for the Halloween festive season; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22167/01]
927 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the total amount of fireworks authorised to be imported since 1995; the estimated amount of unauthorised fireworks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22169/01]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 925 and 927 together.
Under the Explosives Act, 1875, fireworks may be imported only in accordance with importation licences issued by my Department. It is a long standing policy that such licences are issued only for organised displays conducted by professional and knowledgeable operators and not for the sale of fireworks. My Department is currently carrying out a review of the legislation relating to explosives and the question of the use of fireworks by individuals is one of the issues under consideration. My Department authorised the importation of 115 tonnes of fireworks since 1995 to date. While it is not possible to estimate the amount of fireworks which are illegally imported, a close watch is kept by the Garda authorities on the illegal trade and they do not hesitate to act where necessary. Through their vigilance, substantial amounts of fireworks are seized each year and subsequently destroyed. The commissioner has assured me that the gardaí will continue to allocate policing resources and be proactive in combating illegal importation and use of fireworks over the Halloween festive season.
