Council to clamp down on unauthorised political signage
By Aideen O'Flaherty
SOUTH Dublin County Council is currently investigating a number of signs and political posters publicising the dissident Republican group Saoradh that were erected in the Tallaght Village area last week.
Stickers publicising Saoradh Ath Claith’s Facebook page were placed on bollards and the side of a metal-encased map of Tallaght in Tallaght Village, while signs encouraging people to join Saoradh were erected on railings in the same area.
The signs in Tallaght
Under the Litter Pollution Act 1997, putting posters or signs on poles or other structures without the written permission of the owners of the structures, including the local authority, ahead of the placement of the items is forbidden.
The signs and stickers publicising Saoradh have been put on both private and public property, however it is not known if the people who erected the signs and placed the stickers had received permission.
Colm Chan, Saoradh’s public relations officer for South Dublin, told The Echo: “It’s unfortunate that people are annoyed by the stickers and posters, and I understand why it bothers people because I work in conservation myself.”
Mr Chan added: “There’s no mainstream media coverage of things like ‘supergrass’ and extradition trials that are held in the Special Criminal Court, so we’ve limited options [to publicise Saoradh and its causes], and historically every political group has put signs up in public places.
“Saoradh is the fastest growing republican party in the 32 counties of Ireland so we’re continuing our recruitment [by placing the posters and stickers].”
When asked if the party had received planning permission from SDCC for the posters, Mr Chan said he would not comment as it could be a legal matter.
A spokesperson from the council told The Echo that it would “exercise its authority, as appropriate, in accordance with the provisions of the Litter Pollution Act 1997.”
