Tipperary town Tidy Town’s Group is asking all General Election candidates to limit their posters within the 50Km town zone to the Market Yard Area. The Tidy Towns Group say that their aim is to prevent visual clutter, litter and to reduce the environmental impact of using plastic signs. The group has contacted all of the candidates in South Tipperary to request their compliance with the request for restricted postering in Tipperary town. A similar request was made for the June Local Elections and was broadly observed by the candidates in the Tipperary Cahir Cashel MD.
Tipperary Tidy Towns, who recently secured 352 marks in the SuperValu Tidy Towns Competition, accept that while there is no legal mechanism to enforce their policy they are proud to begin the conversation with candidates and the general public about a “modern Campaign Material Policy” for elections in Ireland.
Some General Election candidates in county Tipperary are reported to have already erected posters and signage in breach of the Litter Pollution Act. Labour TD Alan Kelly and Independent candidate Jim Ryan have erected posters in Liberty Square Thurles as of today while other candidates across the country have taken similar action – with only 21 days of campaigning candidates may have felt at liberty to erect posters which cannot be erected until the election is called but can be erected for 30 days before the polling date.
