As part of a plan to promote a safe and enjoyable Halloween for everyone, Dublin City Council is asking the public to take action against bonfires.
All bonfires are illegal and the Council encourages people to report any stockpiled materials that they come across. They can do so in a number of ways:
- Dublin City Council’s Litter Hotline on 1800 251 500 (Monday-Friday, 9am – 5pm).
- Dublin City Council’s Customer Services Centre on 01 2221000 (Monday –
Friday, 9am – 5pm) and after hours (Evenings and Weekends) on 01 6796186. - Log onto the website http://www.dublincity.ie/ and click on the link “Report Stockpiling of Bonfire Material”.
- Email customerservices@dublincity.ie.
Between now and Halloween the Council will be carrying out dozens of stockpiling raids to remove bonfire material. The movement is part of a campaign for a safe Halloween that everyone in the community can enjoy, which includes family-friendly events taking place throughout the city and licensed fireworks displays.
The Council will be using the hashtag #dubsafehalloween to promote this movement, as can members of the public to promote their own safe Halloween content on social media. Dublin Fire Brigade will be using the hashtag #firesafety to promote the Dublin Fire Brigade Safety Awareness Campaign.
Simon Brock, administrative officer of the Dublin City Council Waste Management Services, spoke about the importance of the movement:
“Dublin City Council is again putting in place an extensive action plan for the 2016 Halloween period. Offering a safe environment for everyone to celebrate Halloween and stopping illegal bonfires has played a major part in reducing the damage Halloween has traditionally caused. We need your support in this and are asking you to report incidents of stockpiling of bonfire material to us as soon as possible so we can remove the material and avoid the risk of serious injury to our children and damage to our environment over the Halloween period.”
In 2015, the Council removed in excess of 750 tonnes of bonfire materials. This action was taken in response to 453 reports of stockpiling from the public through various reporting channels.
By Kevin Carney
