Gardai will also be given new powers to search premises for illegal fireworks. "The experience most of us had of going to the fruit sellers and of material being produced from the pockets of aprons will be a thing of the past. Such activities will be illegal from now on, " the justice minister Michael McDowell said.

While it is illegal to import fireworks into Ireland without a licence from the Department of Justice, the law on fireworks has not changed in 120 years, a weakness acknowledged by McDowell recently in the Dail.

"The penalties are so desultory that it would cost more to issue the District Court summons than could be recovered by way of fines, " he said.

The new fireworks regime is part of the Criminal Justice Bill which will also introduce anti-social behaviour orders (Asbos) into Irish law. The bill is due to pass its final stages in the Oireachtas this week before the start of the summer recess. Labour's justice spokesman Brendan Howlin welcomed the fact that the regulations would "tighten the law to make explosive materials such as bangers harder to access and use."

An advertising campaign is planned for September to inform people about the new rules. McDowell said the campaign would "tell the public that children cannot expect to go to Moore Street and find fireworks under the oranges and apples.

It will be a serious offence for somebody to have fireworks available in that context."

An opinion poll on public attitudes to fireworks . . . commissioned by the Department of Justice . . . indicated that people only favour fireworks being allowed when part of an organised public display. The minister, however, has rejected a proposal from Fine Gael to allow local community leaders to be trained to oversee smaller displays.

The matter of community-firework events will be reviewed in the forthcoming Explosives Bill which is expected to be published in December but which McDowell has said is unlikely to be law before the next general election.