A Fine Gael councillor for Dún Laoghaire is offering a reward for information leading to the return of missing election posters.
According to Cllr Mary Mitchell O’Connor, up to 40 per cent of her posters have been removed since last Friday, and she said local gardaí have been notified.
Ms Mitchell O’Connor said she believed that other councillors in Dún Laoghaire Rathdown have brought similar complaints to the attention of the county manager, which would indicate a particular party motivation was not involved.
“Almost half of the posters I put up have been removed. The problem is particularly pronounced in some areas. I don’t know if it is people acting the fool or something more orchestrated and sinister. I believe it is an issue worth highlighting, and I am therefore offering a reward to anybody who has real information about who is involved in this," she said.
"I am aware that it was quite stormy Wednesday and Thursday evening, but many of my posters survived the storm yet unbelievably have disappeared during the fine spell.
“Election posters are an important tool is highlighting one’s candidacy, and as we know only too well in Ireland, name recognition is very extremely important. It is serious for me . . . there is a limit on what you can spend, and I had that [money] budgeted . . . I'm just so livid," Ms Mitchell O’Connor said.
The Fine Gael councillor said the posters were cut away, leaving the cable ties in place. "All I know is there are no posters of me, so I have to reorder posters." She added, however, the issue had to be kept "in perspective".
