Older people in Limerick are blocking their letterboxes to prevent fireworks being thrown into their homes, according to a local TD.
Willie O'Dea said he was first made aware of the occurrence last year, and claims that residents are “living in fear”.
Incidents have been reported to the gardaí.
The Fianna Fáil TD said it is fortunate that nobody has been killed.
“Elderly people, people living alone, had those fireworks dropped in their letterboxes and they managed to sort of put out any fire before it burned the house down,” he said.
“But it’s just ... generating a great sense of fear amongst the community, particularly, as you say, the elderly and people who feel vulnerable because they live alone.”
It comes as Dublin Fire Brigade has warned people not to purchase or use fireworks over the Halloween period and to avoid attending bonfires.
Speaking to Newstalk radio this week, assistant chief fire officer John Guilfoyle said every Halloween people end up with “life-changing injuries” due to these activities.
“Unfortunately our paramedics, year after year, witness and get people on our ambulances with severe burns, facial injuries, we have often seen people with loss of sight, loss of limbs, people have lost fingers, and they are life-changing injuries,” he said.
He also urged the public to be respectful of the fire service if they do show up at an incident on Halloween.
The plea follows persistent concerns over staffing issues at Dublin Fire Brigade in the run-up to the service's busiest time of year.
