Politics

Socialist Party told to take down election posters

Local authority warns candidates over early postering ahead of May ballot

A poster on a lampost in Cork yesterday. Photograph: Dave Molloy
A poster on a lampost in Cork yesterday. Photograph: Dave Molloy
Fiach Kelly
Tue Apr 22 2014 - 13:45

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.

Election posters erected on lamp-posts on the Rock Road, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, today. Photograph: Eric Luke/The Irish Times
Election posters erected on lamp-posts on the Rock Road, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, today. Photograph: Eric Luke/The Irish Times
A poster for Fianna Fail candidate Frank O’Rourke is seen in Celbridge, Co Kildare, today.
A poster for Fianna Fail candidate Frank O’Rourke is seen in Celbridge, Co Kildare, today.

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.

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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.