Council asks public to report stockpiled bonfire material

Dublin City Council is calling on citizens to report stockpiling of bonfire material in the lead-up to Halloween.

The Council is encouraging people to ring the 24-hour hotline on 222 2222 for any tips, or reporting bonfire material online on Citizen Hub.

In a statement, the Council said crews are available on call out of hours on the Northside and Southside to assist Gardaí and remove material.

Dublin City Council removed 441 tonnes of bonfire materials citywide during the Halloween period in 2022 in response to over 432 reports of stockpiling from the public.

Dublin Fire Brigade is not in a position to take reports or collect material. However, by increasing awareness, the Dublin Fire Brigade say they hope to reduce the number of injuries and incidents associated with bonfires and the misuse of fireworks.

“The tragedy is that we are likely to see more injuries associated with the misuse of fireworks and these are so preventable,” they said.

The detonation of fireworks has become a major nuisance for residents across Dublin, with a social media campaign launched in recent weeks to discourage people from setting off fireworks.

Minister of State Jack Chambers said “I believe education, awareness and enforcement can all play a role in addressing this issue. It is not acceptable that the public should feel unsafe or insecure in their communities and I fully understand how the use of fireworks can be distressing, particularly for the more vulnerable people in society.”

Tim O’Mahony, Chief Executive from the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind said “every year our team is faced with the heartbreak of seeing Guide Dogs and Assistance Dogs traumatised from the impact of fireworks.”

“Whilst our dogs are highly trained to cope with many situations, if a dog has an experience that goes beyond a normal level of stress, such as a firework exploding close to them, this can overly sensitise the dog, similar to PTSD in humans.”

“Our trainers will work very closely with the dog and owner to reverse the effects, and whilst most dogs recover, some overreact to unexpected noise, which manifests as a fear reaction.”