Sir, – Election posters are eyesores that litter every city, town and village and deface the rural landscape. They’re plastered on every upright pole and blank wall in the country – if it doesn’t move, chances are it will be plastered!
Environmentally, posters are wasteful. Cable-ties left behind have to be removed by local councils at some cost (since it is not possible to tell who left them). Most people don’t want them, but nobody has made any serious effort to stop them. The presidential election offers a chance to end this useless waste.
Being nationwide, the upcoming election means that candidates must campaign in every county, involving thousands of posters for each. At more than €5 a pop, this is prohibitively expensive, especially for Independent candidates. Political parties receive a State subvention, so the State is effectively subsidising the posters of some candidates and not of others, effectively disadvantaging Independents. This is clearly unfair.
With the great variety of accessible communications methods now available to everyone, this campaign offers the perfect opportunity banish these eyesores to history. – Yours, etc,
RONAN QUINLAN,
Dublin 15.