Emergency services want people to keep the spirit and fun of Halloween but in a safe way.
Halloween is one of the busiest nights of the year for the emergency services. Fire crews and Gardaí will be dealing with bonfires and anti-social behaviour. Councils meanwhile are preparing for the clean-up operation.
People have been gathering and collecting fuel for bonfires for weeks. Not everyone sees this as Halloween fun. Fingal County Council will spend around €150,000 cleaning up before and after these bonfires. Ruairí Ó Dúlaing, Fingal County Council, says that they would prefer to spend this money on playing fields and playgrounds.
For many people, Halloween is an opportunity to dispose of heavy bulk waste.
In 2008, over a hundred tonnes of rubbish was taken from bonfires in the Dublin 15 area alone. Council workers are expecting a similar amount of waste this year.
Halloween night is one of the busiest and most dangerous nights of the year for the fire services. Richie Hedderman, Dublin Fire Brigade, says that crews have already been attacked on several occasions in the last few days with firefighters injured. Some fire engines have also had to be taken out of service for repairs after being damaged during anti-social behaviour.
Emergency services are encouraging people to attend organised events like one in Galway where participants re-enacted the dance for Michael Jackson's Thriller.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 31 October 2009. The reporter is Sharon Tobin.
