Candidates in the forthcoming European and local elections have accused each other of breaking a gentleman's agreement with Dublin City Council that bars the erection of political posters in the city ahead of an agreed date before polling day.
The agreement defines the period within which parties can erect posters ahead of polling day. It allows for political postering 28 days ahead of polling day for local elections and 35 days ahead of the European Parliament election date.
It was reported in this morning's Irish Timesthat candidates from all the main parties had erected posters last week, ahead of the specified time frame for the European election. The first day when the erection of posters for the European election was permitted was last Saturday and next Friday marks the first day when local election posters may be erected.
Mr Gay Mitchell, Fine Gael's Europe candidate for Dublin this morning denied reports his election posters had been erected before Saturday. Claiming the reports were false, Mr Mitchell said his election workers had followed his instructions to comply with regulations.
Mr Mitchell added that he regretted "that other candidates decided for political reasons to break the regulations and erect their posters ahead of the deadline."
The Progressive Democrats and Sinn Féin were also accused of erecting European Candidacy posters too early.
The Green Party was accused today of erecting local election posters at a DART station in Clontarf at the weekend. But, Eamon Ryan TD, the Green Party's Director of Elections today claimed that Dublin Corporation was responsible for the confusion regarding local election poster deadlines.
He said a council official had told his party that the deadline after which local election candidate's posters could be erected had been changed to Friday, 7th May.
He said his party would be happy to take down the some 20 candidate's posters that had been put up around the city. But added that they were "very unhappy at the conflicting instructions that have come from the Council officials."
Candidates and parties who do not remove their posters a week after polling day are liable to an on-the-spot fine or prosecution under the 1997 Litter Pollution Act but are under no apparent legal obligation before polling day.
