Council moves to tackle election posters blight

By Laura Lyne

A RESTRICTION on the erection of election posters across the county was proposed at the most recent meeting of South Dublin County Council, with options to place restrictions on posters now set to be explored by the council.

The motion was submitted by Green Party councillor Francis Noel Duffy and asked that the council investigates designated poster areas, and noted that the erection of election posters is “unsightly and dangerous to pedestrians, cyclists and road users”.

It was passed unanimously in the council chambers, with the Environment, Public Realm and Climate Change SPC set to discuss and research options.

In its response to the motion, South Dublin County Council said: “Reforming the way election candidates reach the public may require political will and legislative change.

“A working group of the former Environment SPC previously developed a voluntary code of practice to which election candidates in Local Elections in Lucan, Clondalkin and Palmers-town agreed not to erect posters in those villages at the request of the local Tidy Towns groups.

“However there is currently no legislative provision to enforce this voluntary code, and it was only relative to Local Elections.”

Following the passing of the motion, Cllr Duffy said: “This proposal represents quite a radical, but eminently sensible departure to the heretofore traditional postering, which pervades at election times, but the benefits of making the change are clear and significant.

“With the emergence of so many new political parties and independents, we can expect to see an even further proliferation of haphazard, disorganised postering in the future.

“It is a cleaner, environ-mentally-friendly proposal, it promotes a safer local environment cutting down on litter and the dangers of falling posters, and eliminates the unsightly spectacle of posters clinging to every public space during election time.”