Enough is enough! During the past week, millions of pounds worth of fireworks have exploded across our skies, making an ass of the law and humiliating those members of the Garda Siochana who were tasked with preventing their sale and use. If those reasons are not sufficient to compel the Government to legalise this trade, then it should consider the impact a flood of black market money is likely to have on the criminal underworld and on future crime rates.
There is a real threat here. By doing nothing, the Government guarantees an income of millions of pounds to the criminal elements which import and sell illegal fireworks. And the problem is growing rapidly. Anyone who inspected the Dublin skyline, or that of any of our major cities, on Halloween would have witnessed major pyrotechnic displays. At one level, it seems perfectly harmless fun as children and adults celebrate the transition from autumn to winter. But putting massive amounts of money into the pockets of criminals is no joke. For the money gained in this way almost certainly funds other illegal activities.
Sources within the Garda say there is no evidence to link known drug smuggling gangs with those people involved in the large-scale importation of fireworks. They accept some connections between established cigarette smugglers and firework importers. But they say the main groups involved operate on an opportunistic basis. In spite of that, the potential for organised criminal involvement is huge. The illegal trade has now grown to involve container loads of fireworks. Most of the material comes from Northern Ireland where fireworks, other than bangers, are perfectly legal. Smuggling has been facilitated by a reduction in border security.
Twelve seizures of fireworks took place in recent weeks, most of them in Dublin. They varied considerably both in size and importance, with the largest of them, in the Blanchardstown area, being valued by the Garda at £1m. Official sources suggest that materials purchased for £1 North of the border sell for £2 down here. The profit margin is even greater when sub-standard fireworks are imported from European countries and from Asia.
The ban on the sale and the use of fireworks which the Garda is expected to enforce is now 125 years old and is crying out for replacement. The waste of Garda resources should be as commanding a reason for this change as the general abuse of the law. Legalising the traffic would not only address those concerns but it would choke off revenue to criminal elements while ensuring that proper safety standards are applied to fireworks sold in public outlets. The safety of our children and the general welfare of society demands a response from the Minister for Justice. If action is forthcoming, Mr O'Donoghue can anticipate a positive response from the opposition parties in the Dail.