To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in relation to the distress and anxiety firework noise and pollution causes to animals, what consideration has the Minister given to developing a public awareness campaign on the safe use of fireworks.

My Department undertakes a campaign annually, via social media, in the lead up to Halloween to raise awareness of the impact firework noise can have on pets and provide guidance on how to minimise any distress and anxiety that may be caused to them. My Department will be proceeding with messaging for this year’s campaign in the coming weeks.

The Department of Justice is the licensing authority for those seeking to use fireworks in Northern Ireland. Information and guidance on the safe use of fireworks is available on the NI Direct website. This includes the Firework Safety Code which advises those using fireworks to keep pets indoors.