Debate contribution: Fireworks Legislation

Debate contribution by Mrs Naomi Long on 18 November 2025.

MLA

Mrs Naomi Long

Party at the time

Alliance Party

Date

18 November 2025

Type

Debate contribution (made as a minister)

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Fireworks Legislation

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5244748

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, and thank you to all Members who engaged in the debate. My Department is the relevant authority in respect of explosives licensing, and it grants licences for the storage, possession, selling or legal use of fireworks. The setting of decibel noise limits on the fireworks available to consumers is a reserved matter and is the UK Government's responsibility as a trading standards issue. Whilst I cannot mandate low-noise fireworks, I can, nevertheless, promote and encourage their use in my communications, as I do, and ensure that information on them is available year round on nidirect. At the conclusion of the debate, I would be happy to raise that issue with ministerial colleagues in Westminster. Members should note, however, that they have, to date, refused to undertake a review of their fireworks licensing, which is much more lax than ours. I recognise that, following a number of serious concerns being raised over the Halloween period, the current Northern Ireland fireworks licensing controls have been brought into focus, and questions have arisen over whether the regulations and controls are sufficient. Fireworks regulation in Northern Ireland is among the most robust and effective in the United Kingdom, and this is the only jurisdiction in the UK where a fireworks licence is required for members of the public and professional displays. Furthermore, display-type fireworks in Northern Ireland are limited to professional use, unlike in other jurisdictions. Fireworks licences are issued by the Department only when it is safe to do so. They are restricted to one date, with an approved location and a list of fireworks appended, and will generally not be issued past 11.00 pm, with the exception of special occasions such as New Year's Eve. The purchase of fireworks online in NI is not lawful, as a licence for their use will not be granted. When you apply for a licence, you have to list in the schedule your supplier and the reference numbers for the fireworks that you intend to use, or you will not get a licence. Fireworks are safely enjoyed by many through private and publicly organised events. I have always said that there is a balance to be struck between those who enjoy fireworks and those who do not. I am mindful of the number of businesses that rely on income from fireworks displays. Under the current licensing arrangements, it is illegal for a registered or licensed retailer to sell fireworks to anyone under the age of 18 — making the discussions around the minimum age of criminal responsibility (MACR) somewhat of a diversion — with the exception of sparklers, or to anyone who does not hold a valid fireworks licence issued by the Department of Justice. There is an important distinction to be made between licensed displays, where the appropriate checks have been carried out, and fireworks that are sold and used illegally, which is, ultimately, a matter of enforcement. Illegal fireworks are unsafe, and users are unlikely to comply with the restrictions that are placed on a licensed display, such as noise abatement hours, unsafe locations and the use of display fireworks, which should be used only by trained professional display operators. Such behaviour is as reckless as it is antisocial, placing those who use such fireworks at risk of serious injury and causing distress to others, given the unpredictability of when they will be used. However, that must be balanced against the facts, and a number of Members raised the issue of the number of reported fireworks incidents. In 2020, 1,949 fireworks incidents were reported; in 2024, at year end,1,033 were reported; and up until 16 October, which precludes the Halloween period, 563 incidents were reported. On accidents involving fireworks resulting in injury, there was one in 2020 and one in 2025. That number rose to a peak in 2022 with four injuries. The firearms and explosives branch in my Department processes applications all year round. Annually, the team generally receives over 500 applications for various types of events, with Halloween being the busiest time of year. I am conscious of the impact that fireworks can have on the elderly, those with noise sensitivity and more vulnerable members of the community, including those with PTSD, as well as on domestic and wild animals and livestock. As a dog owner and animal lover, I am conscious of the unintentional impact that fireworks can have on animals, particularly where they are used unpredictably. For community events, a fireworks licence may be issued with a condition that local residents have to be informed in advance of the fireworks display to allow them to take such precautions as may be necessary. Again, licensed displays are appropriately checked, and, through advertisements, local residents are aware of when they will take place to enable them to take appropriate measures to mitigate distress to humans and animals who do not enjoy fireworks and find them distressing.

When it comes to calls for a public awareness campaign and an education campaign, each year, as Halloween approaches, I issue reminders to the public that it is an offence to buy or be in possession of fireworks without a valid licence and urge the public to comply with the law. I also advise that fireworks bought from illegal sources may not be safe and may result in prosecution. Through my messaging and reminders, I continue to ask the public to be considerate of others, especially vulnerable people and animals. I will also continue to promote low-noise fireworks, which are available to purchase. Making those simple changes could help make Halloween and other events more enjoyable and reduce the distress caused.

No. The Member did not offer me the courtesy when I asked. I also note that other agencies, such as the PSNI, the Fire and Rescue Service, DAERA and local councils promoted similar Halloween firework safety messages via their social media platforms. I encourage and will continue to encourage the public and councils to consider low-noise alternatives, such as drone displays, when celebrating seasonal events. I note, for example, that Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council held a low-noise display followed by a traditional fireworks display to provide options for those who enjoy fireworks with less noise. I will now turn to enforcement. Some Members seem to be under the illusion that better legislation would solve the problem, but, of course, legislation is not worth the paper that it is written on unless it is enforced. Enforcement is, perhaps, the key to this, because the legislation is quite robust. My officials work closely with relevant agencies to ensure that fireworks licences are issued only when it is deemed safe to do so and that any concerns or breaches of the legislation are reported to PSNI. Since 2016 — I believe that it was Patsy McGlone who asked — over 1,000 prosecutions for possession of unlicensed fireworks have taken place, averaging around 100 per year by PSNI. The PSNI will also deal with other, less serious incidents by way of other disposals out of court. My Department regularly arranges health and safety inspections of firework retailers and wholesalers and frequently checks records of sales to ensure compliance with the regulations on selling fireworks, because it can be cross-referenced with the fireworks licence to check that they were purchased and used as intended. My Department has also refused and revoked licences to store and sell fireworks on the ground of fitness. I am focused on the safe and responsible use of fireworks. Information on fireworks safety and the availability of low-noise fireworks is available all year round on nidirect. The web page also has the application form and a list of registered retailers, as well as the fireworks helpline. We want to encourage and make it easy for the public to follow the law and obtain a fireworks licence along with everything that goes with it. The price for a licence remains unchanged at £30 for small private displays, and work is under way to bring that application process online. There is no short-term solution to tackling antisocial behaviour that engages the use of fireworks. It requires concerted and sustained effort, and it is vital that the public play an active role in reporting any concerns regarding the misuse or illegal selling of fireworks or other fireworks infractions to PSNI so that the appropriate actions can be taken. Policing and community safety partnerships (PCSPs), which are funded by my Department, and the Northern Ireland Policing Board play a key role in the Department's operational response to community safety concerns at a local level. Tackling antisocial behaviour is a key strategic priority for PCSPs, which engage with local communities, statutory agencies and the community and voluntary sector to develop planned, purposeful, structured interventions to address issues in each council area. They also support —

I will not at this point. They also support partner messaging on social media, such as the PSNI Halloween safety campaign — another element of education. Therefore, I am not currently considering either a review of the legal framework or a ban on fireworks. Members will be well aware of the limited resources available to my Department and the challenges that I have faced in ensuring that sufficient resourcing is available for critical public safety issues, including adequate support for front-line services. The Member for North Antrim raised the issue of the challenges that the police face from cybercrime, yet we spend this afternoon discussing fireworks. I cannot do everything, so I am prioritising the things that are most important, as you would expect me to. A full-scale review of the legislative framework would require me to take resources away from other parts of Justice to do that work. Reviewing regulations that already do many of the things that Members have called for would not be an effective use of my resources, and I continue to prioritise the areas that will make the biggest impact on public safety and access to justice within the constraints of my budget. To the Members who insist that I launch a review, particularly the party that moved the motion today, I say this: what other part of the justice system should I defund and deprioritise in order to deliver this? Would you have me take resources away from front-line policing, child protection, victim services? Where is the resource to come from? We do not have it in the Department of Justice. Should we take it from Prison Service and reduce our opportunities to deal with reoffending? Furthermore, even an outright ban is not guaranteed to stop the misuse of fireworks and could, in fact, have unintended consequences, including a possible increase in the illegal sale of dangerous fireworks with greater potential to cause injury. For example, in Ireland, the sale of most fireworks to the public is illegal. Nevertheless, their use in recent public disorder indicates that they are still available illegally. The current regulations provide a robust and effective framework that seeks to ensure that fireworks are sold and bought through a licensing system for responsible use. It aids partners, including PSNI, to identify unlicensed and illegal fireworks and bear down on that problem. The fact that we have seen a decrease in complaints evidences the fact that there has been some improvement. However, in recognition of the genuine public concern around the misuse of fireworks, I have instructed my officials to examine penalties and enforcement concerning the illegal use or sale of fireworks in the pending review of sentencing issues that we intend to launch before the end of the year. That will provide an opportunity to consider the associated penalties for breaching the existing regulations and may act as a further deterrent. Mr Butler said at the beginning that he would not support the amendment because it falls short of what his constituents want, but I have in front of me the emails that were sent from the social media petition in this regard, and it says:

"I respectfully urge you to consider the following reforms".

The first is:

"Mandate silent or low-noise fireworks for all private and community use."

Well, I cannot do that. I can write to colleagues in London, but it is a reserved matter, so I cannot do it. The second thing is:

"Enforce existing laws on sales and licences."

We do; in fact, I am suggesting improving enforcement. The third thing is:

"Restrict times and locations for setting off fireworks to better protect pets, wildlife, and vulnerable people."

We do. We say where they can be used and when they can be used.

There is no point in changing it when the problem is those who do not measure their behaviour in line with the law. The problem that we have is illegal fireworks, and it is on those that we need to bear down. The licensing system is fit for purpose. It would be a diversion from enforcement of the licensing for us to spend money on this.

The Member may well chunter and say, "No, of course, it wouldn't", but he does not sit on a daily basis and face the challenges that I face in managing my budget and my resources in a Department that has been drained of resources over 10 years. I have to prioritise carefully what I do in order that I have the most impact on public safety, and a review of what is already robust legislation will not make any difference to the people who breach it. What will matter is enforcement of it to ensure that it is taken seriously by everyone. That will bring about the safe and considerate use that, we all say, we want. I encourage people to support the amendment, because it is the most effective way to deliver what constituents have asked for.

2,302 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

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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.

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