The Socialist Party has been told to take down election posters it put up around Dublin in advance of being legally allowed do so.
Posters for the local and European elections may be erected from midnight tonight, but Socialist MEP Paul Murphy said he put up about 1,000 posters in south Dublin and Fingal.
Mr Murphy said he had no choice but to do so, since Fianna Fáil candidate Mary Fitzpatrick also put up some posters early.
#battleofclontarf #maryfitzpatrick #finafail #breakingthelaw #bridsmith #dublincitycouncil #removepostersfineFF #rte pic.twitter.com/8Rer4hknFD
— Brid Smith (@bridsmith) April 19, 2014
FF hoping for light-touch littering regulations? pic.twitter.com/Hn1HAJ2hZu
— Aodhán Ó Ríordáin TD (@AodhanORiordain) April 19, 2014
There is a €150 fine for each individual poster which goes up before the allowed date but Mr Murphy said he hoped to mostly avoid the penalties.
However, he has been instructed by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council to take down the posters in its area.
“We’ll just have to put them up again tonight,” Mr Murphy said.