I am very aware of the misery and distress the use of illegal fireworks can cause and the real risk they pose to the wellbeing of not just young people, the elderly and vulnerable, but also service animals, family pets and other animals.
Presently, all pyrotechnics in Europe, including fireworks, fall under the EU Pyrotechnic Directive 2013/29/EU. This Directive aims to provide free movement of fireworks throughout the EU and, under Article 4, it permits Member States to restrict the availability of Category F2 and Category F3 fireworks to the general public.
The only legal fireworks used by members of the general public in Ireland are Category F1 fireworks which “present a very low hazard and negligible noise level”. Professional pyrotechnic operators who use the larger Category F2, F3 and F4 fireworks conduct public displays at festivals and weddings. Before conducting a display, these professional pyrotechnic operators must conduct a risk assessment and consult with all interested local authorities such as the Fire Service and An Garda Síochána, as well as local residents, as appropriate. Local authorities can prevent the display from taking place, if their concerns regarding their areas of responsibility are not met.
The movement of fireworks can only be restricted on the basis of category or type, and currently there is no type of firework designated as a “silent firework” in either of the EU Standards EN 15947 or EN 16261.
The EU Commission is currently carrying out an evaluation of Directive 2013/29/EU to decide whether or not to carry out a full revision of this Directive. The outcome of this evaluation could be used to inform future decisions in relation to fireworks.
