Fireworks on sale illegally in Ireland are substandard to the point of being "scary," an Army spokesman has said.
Capt Tom Clonan was commenting yesterday after members of the Defence Forces destroyed "five truckloads" of fireworks in a controlled explosion in the Glen of Imaal, Co Wicklow.
He said the Army's Ordnance Corps had been shocked by the poor quality of some of the material passed on to them by the Garda. "Bangers supposed to have three-second fuses are going off the moment you light the touch-paper, for example. In the hands of a child, that could mean the loss of an eye or fingers, or even worse," he said.
Material destroyed included the £1 million consignment found by gardai during a raid on a warehouse in Dublin at the weekend. There were more calls yesterday for the law in the area to be changed.
Senator Joe Costello, of Labour, said the Halloween season was lasting a month and "whole estates are being terrorised". But since the existing blanket ban was unenforceable, it was time for new legislation, which would allow the purchase of fireworks by bona-fide organisations and community groups.
The new law should be harmonised with Britain and Northern Ireland, he added. However, he did not agree with the system in Britain, under which fireworks could be sold "over the counter". It would be up to the Minister for Justice to pursue a compromise on the issue with his counterparts in Britain and the North.
Under existing Irish law, all fireworks are classed as low explosive and cannot be imported without a licence from the Department of Justice. Persons wishing to organise displays must apply a month in advance and meet strict criteria, including the hire of a professional operator to oversee the event.
The Department's inspector of explosives must approve the materials, and site maps have to be provided to the local authorities.
