Debate contribution: Fireworks Legislation
Debate contribution by Mr Maurice Bradley on .
- MLA
- Mr Maurice Bradley
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 18 November 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Private Members' Business
- Heading
- Fireworks Legislation
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5244736
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I will find something.
Apologies, folks. I will start with the PSNI's response to an FOI request in 2019, which showed an upward trend in the offences of buying, possessing or using fireworks without a licence. In 2019-2020, there were over 1,400 incidents of antisocial behaviour involving fireworks, on top of a similar number of incidents the year before, and that is before we take under-reporting into account. My take is that the legislation, as Patsy McGlone said, is nearly a quarter of a century out of date. It was introduced to deal with a situation that is completely different from the situation now, considering the price and ferocity of fireworks today. The legislation therefore needs to be updated. EU rules as they apply under the Windsor framework allow fireworks of up to 120 decibels. That is far too loud. In my day, the decibel limit was much lower: at least half of that. We also have to deal with antisocial behaviour of young people running around letting off fireworks in people's entries and at their front doors, which is a real nuisance. Again, most of that behaviour goes unreported. People just put up with it. In an intervention earlier, I highlighted the effect of fireworks on pets. I can still vividly see what my pet went through that particular night. Its paws were stripped from gouging a door. It was unbelievable. Fireworks affect not just pets but livestock. When fireworks go off in a rural area, cattle will stampede. Horses in a field will stampede at great speed. Clydesdales will run through anything, and when it is dark, they cannot see where they are running. There is therefore a danger to farm animals as well. No offence, Minister, but the legislation is out of date.
I will not need it, but thank you very much, Mr Deputy Speaker. I agree with the Member, and I thank him for his intervention. I will be supporting the motion and not the amendment.
331 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.04 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.94).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.03 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.03 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.02 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.05 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.03 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.94 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.04 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-related subject | 0.76 |
| Constitutional question, Brexit, the Windsor Framework and sovereignty | 0.21 |
| Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues | 0.03 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 14:00 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
Disagree with this assessment?
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