A poster ban has been proposed for Limerick which is in a ‘unique situation’ ahead of a number of scheduled elections taking place in the county next year.
Limerick residents will vote for their new mayor on the same day as Local Elections and European Parliament Elections are held in June.
They will be the first city in Ireland to vote for a directly elected mayor.
Cllr Joe Leddin told Lunchtime Live that an “unusually high number of candidates” will be going forward next year as a result of the additional election.
Cllr Leddin said:
“You’re going to have a situation where there could be a complete proliferation of election posters on every pole,” said the Limerick City Councillor.
“Every street post throughout the whole city and county too. It would happen simply because you have multiple elections on the same day.”
Proposals
Cllr Leddin has made a number of proposals to ensure this does not happen.
“I raised motions to Limerick City and County Council for it to be considered not to have any posters if there was an agreement made with all parties or non-parties,” he said.
“Or potentially we could have an agreement where there are dedicated areas for posters which is the norm in many European cities.”
The Labour Party councillor said he has received a positive response from his fellow councillors so far.
He also believes there are a whole host of other reasons why posters shouldn’t be used.
“There’s a huge cost involved in terms of posters which can benefit bigger parties with more resources compared to a first-time candidate,” said Cllr Leddin.
“That’s before we look at the environment and sustainability side of it. How often do we see discarded posters in fields when we drive through towns and villages?”
Unknown Candidates
Cllr Leddin said unknown candidates should realise “politics is about people” and not posters.
“You go out there, you knock on doors, and you talk to the people," he said.
“They then decide if you’re good enough to be a councillor or an MEP, whatever it may be.”
He added the use of social media platforms can be just as effective for new candidates in getting visibility as erecting posters can be.
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