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ENVIRONMENT AND LOCAL Government Minister Phil Hogan has signed the polling order for the local elections which confirms that candidates can start erecting posters from 23 April.
The order formally confirms that voting will take place between 7am and 10pm on Friday, 23 May with a separate polling order at a later date to confirm that the European Parliament elections will also take place on that date.
In addition Hogan has signed an order setting next Tuesday, 25 March as the date after which spending limits will apply for candidates.
Spending limits have been reduced since the 2009 elections – when they were first introduced – so that a candidate can spend a maximum of €13,000, €11,500 or €9,750 depending on the population in the local electoral area.
“Candidates seeking election will also have to comply with new rules on the acceptance of political donations that were introduced in 2012. This includes a reduction in the amount than can be accepted and restrictions on corporate donations,” Hogan said.
Candidates nominated by a political party are deemed to automatically allocate 10 per cent of their spending limit to the party’s national agent.
A party candidate with a limit of €13,000 euro would be deemed to automatically allocate €1,300 for use by the party. Their effective limit would therefore be €11,700 but the 10 per cent figure can be varied upwards or downwards by written agreement between the candidate and national agent.
Candidates and political parties are required to make a spending declaration within 90 days of polling day.
The polling order means that candidates can only erect posters from 23 April, 30 days before the polling date and they are required to remove all posters within seven days of the poll.
People are also reminded to ensure they are registered to vote by going to the Check The Register website. The deadline for registering is 6 May while those who wish to be added to the postal voting register must do so by 26 April.
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Waste of money and trees in this Digital Age. ( apologies to all the printing businesses out there but it is )
They’re made of corriboard, not cardboard. But agree with your point about waste of materials and resources.
Would it be better to stick screens or iPads up on poles instead?
The only posters any politician in this country should be on are “Wanted” posters!
yes, report them to the local council litter warden
Regardless of what party has them up, if posters are up now on lampposts they are considered litter. Please report them!
Public Meeting posters can go up 30 days before the date of the meeting and stay up 7 days after.
If they’re still up then or if you can prove the meeting didn’t go ahead (and it often doesn’t), you could then report them.
There’s a Labour poster up on my road, can i tear it down?
I was planning to anyway.
Never mind the posters. Its politicians knocking on the door after 7pm at night that does my head in. As if I have time to talk to local muppets while trying to put the children to bed. There wasn’t one to be seen at the last elections as we were in the depths of recession, some how they think thats over now. Same question to every candidate that knocks on the door ” will you do the job for free” if yes you’ll get my vote.
I have put a note on the front door ” No election leaflets or canvassers” and it works very well so far.. The postman even took it on board.
Never mind the silly posters (with FG, FF and Labour in very small print), what the people want to know from all the candidates is “do you support the Property Tax and water charges?”
There’s plenty going up already.
In particular, there’s loads where I live for Diarmaid Ó Cadhla
They just break the rules by having a tiny bit of small print relating to a “public meeting”, which means they aren’t bound by the dates.
Ronan Mullen’s has already been putting up election style posters in Portumna in Co Galway last week, he’s also using them to promote some meetings he’s running
Here’s the proof – http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=299229&d=1395225387
Galway County Council have already been notified and they will be following up as these posters should not be up,
Problem might be that he is not seeking your vote, Martin. But just advertising a public meeting which is allowed as far as I know.
Hugh, fair point,
Problem is if they are lampposts (council property) they still need to seek permission, Galway CC confirmed this did not happen.
Interesting. Can you drop me an email with the details? hugh@thejournal.ie
Details are taken from pages here – http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057143866
Hopefully this should backfire on him, is that the kind of small print, rule bending, sneak , you would want as a representative .
They are not required under the litter act to request permission. Although some councils do prefer it.
I saw an election poster in a ditch in rural Carlow a few days ago.
Pity there wasn’t a politician in there with it!!
A recent survey found that less then 50% of Europeans realised that MEPs are directly elected.The EU is clearly morphing into an undemocratic federal behemoth which serves a political elite and corporate interests rather then the electorate.
Almost every major country now has a anti-EU political movement.Where is Ireland’s?The Russian ambassador was correct when he stated the Irish are ‘brainwashed’ nad ‘fuc$ed’ by the EU.
- Sinn Vein
- Socialist Party
- PBP
- DDI
there are a few anti-EU parties around
Not looking forward to seeing the posters littering the Irish landscape I am looking forward to candidates knocking on my door :-)
Whats the point in them? Do they actually influence anyone to vote one way or another? And if they are there just to put a mug and a name for those that are running – thats no real help either.
It’s like all advertising. People think it doesn’t work on them. But it does. Also, do you want to be the only candidate who doesn’t participate? The electorate will accuse you of not being interested enough…
Already up in Drogheda. Seen one on Platin Road this morning just before M1.
Further information re practical aspects of mounting a campaign and nominating yourself as an Independent candidate etc. can be found at http://www.independentsnetwork.org
Let’s diversify the voices in our political arena. Real communuity people can step forward and make a change. If we can do anything to help, please let us know: independentsnetwork@gmail.com or @inds_network
There’s a lot of white space on those posters, it would be no harm restricting their size, and if that’s currently done, reducing the present limit.
Good use of white space is good design.
I’ll be doing the rounds with a pair of snips fairly soon after that day. Last time I took down a bunch of FF posters the day before polling day they had them replenished the following morning.
Not ONE of the posters will persuade me to vote for ANY of them….I WILL vote (people should) but it will either be for an independent candidate or a spoiled (protest) vote
Sinn fein must not have know about this as i see alot of posters up, just the persons name and sinn fein, nothing about a vote (probably a loophole) and nothing about any meetings,
Just to get the name out there.
The date the posters go up 23rd March is the actual day of 1000th anniversary of the battle of Clontarf; I will be fighting for a seat in Clontarf local. Hope I am on the winning side :-)
Good luck Donna.
Good luck Donna but the posters can’t actually go up until 23rd April!
Ryan, I meant the 23rd of April, nerves kicking in already!
Will the Green Party just take a hint and die!
Hope Donna you are as quick to take them down again after the elections.
Rumour has it that Ragnor Lothbrok still stalks in the Clontarf area.
Hi Chris, yes I reuse the same ones ,so will get them down quickly and store in the shed. Wish we had designated areas to advertise a poster in like they do in Spain and other EU countries (instead of putting them on lamp post). Problem is if you banned them completely without an alternative it would be undemocratic. Only the wealthy politicians can afford bill boards and news paper adds.
Black, White and PINK, Joe?
I love how the party emblems get smaller each time the posters come out. Because, apparently, us uneducated lot can’t read small writing so won’t know you’re with the same con men who did us over last time. And the time before.
Localism & clientalism are the main factors why Irish people vote for a party.
Getting rid of a FF/FG logo, but filling in a pot-hole almost guarantees re-election.
How about people every street in the country print and laminate one notice that we dont want ANY posters littering our area and saying they will be removed if put up, then we can vote for people who we feel has or has not done a good job locally. Do we really want their faces leering at us from posters (tax payer paid) on every pole in the country, it will give kids nightmares!!
I am giving thought to running, doing a Mick Wallace (I.e. Entering the Local Election 2014 Race belatedly; unlikely to have same result but still…………).
*IF* I do, won’t be canvassing/doorstepping or leafletting or postering or handing out flyers as that day is over surely?
Waste of paper.
With that strategy, you should probably take up a hobby instead. As someone who’s been heavily involved in political campaigns at both local and national level, I can say with some confidence that you would be canon fodder. You have to make the effort, and be seen to be making the effort.
Hugh. Public meeting posters are only exempt from planning regulations when the posters are erected to an advertising structure. Poles, walls, road signs are not advertising structures. You can check this out under the planning and development regulations 2001.
Up already in drogheda labour ones
have your say