Councillors face up to the question of election posters

PAUL MURPHY

They may be 23 or 25 months away but the next local elections are looming large in some councillors’ minds because the issue of postering is already a hot one with traditionalists still wanting their smiling visage on the country’s lampposts but others seeking new ways through a central European-style 'notice board' in the centre of towns and villages.

While the issue might not immediately exercise the minds of those who do vote – especially in the middle of a pandemic – it was given a good run-out when Meath county councillors met by Zoom on Monday.

Social Democrat Cllr Ronan Moore tabled a motion calling on the Council to identify alternative ways of increasing awareness of prospective election candidates so as to help eliminate the need for posters in the next local and European elections in 2024. Sinn Fein Cllr Eddie Fennessy seconded the motion.

The councillor said he was not looking for a “ban” on posters. The Council didn’t have the authority to do that. Nor was he calling on the Government to do that. There was research to show that posters were important but he felt that other means could be found to help identify election candidates and enable them to present themselves to the public.

It was common in European cities and towns for central notice boards to be used to display posters, he said.

Fine Gael Cllr Paddy Meade said he had spent €600-700 on posters in the last election. The idea of central notice boards might work in bigger centres but he did not think they would work in rural areas. They would have to be erected in many centres throughout the countryside and that would be much more costly than posters. Fianna Fail Cllr Damien O’Reilly said he was totally against Cllr Moore’s idea while FG Cllr Alan Tobin said he hadn’t had potters printed for many years. He believed in re-using existing posters.

Aontu Cllr Emer Toibin said there wouldn’t be a level playing field for every candidate if a ban on posters was imposed. Cllr Moore intervened to say that the word “eliminate” might be a step too far.

Fianna Fail Cllr Tom Behan said that he re-used his posters. The only problem he had was that he might “show more forehead” than in the previous election. Independent Cllr Nick Killian said that elections had changed. He said he and Cllr Brian Fitzgerald could recall when they stood on election platforms outside churches “getting all kinds of abuse”.

Sinn Fein Cllr Aisling O’Neill said they should seriously look at alternatives to posters.

An amendment to Cllr Moore’s motion, proposed by Fine Gael Cllr Gerry O’Connor, that the council work towards identifying means of eliminating the use of corrugated board in posters was defeated by 19 votes to 14.

What the county council says about posters

Officials said that that in 2018 the Council had agreed a motion calling on the Government to tighten legislation on the use of posters. No substantive response had been received.

In 2019 the Trim Municipal District had agreed to a poster-free area in the town which led to a voluntary protocol agreed by political parties and candidates. “This was seen as generally effective and something that could be rolled out in other municipal districts. However, a change in legislation would be needed to introduce any new measures on election postering on a statutory basis”.

They said there were a number of statutory provisions set out under the Electoral Acts and the Litter Protection Acts seeking to balance the environmental nuisance and intrusiveness posters might cause with their democratic purpose of informing the electorate. Research by Dr Theresa Reidy (UCD) had shown that posters helped turnout in elections and helped voters in decision making. The research also showed that posters helped voters identify particular candidates and this was helpful to first-time candidates.

Where and when posters might be erected touched on issues like civic participation, freedom of expression, free and fair elections, littering, environmental protection and the aesthetic of the public space.

“There are experiences from other European countries which could be considered such as erecting temporary public notice boards in various locations for the purpose of displaying election posters”. This would negate the need to posters on poles or lights. In terms of alternatives to posters, there was a growing experience with online advertising and the use of social media to target voters. This had environmental benefits but was open to abuse, the officials said.