THE Green Party has come under heavy fire in Killarney for not adhering to a 20-year old agreement not to erect election posters within the urban boundary.
Posters seeking number one votes for Kerry candidate Cleo Murphy have been placed on poles along the Killarney bypass road and the action has infuriated the local tidy towns committee.
A spot-check conducted by KillarneyToday.com confirmed that there are posters on both sides of the road, one just past the fire station and the other between the Lewis Road turn-off and the Cleeny Roundabout.
Although there is no law banning posters, a pact was put in place in 2000 when tidy towns campaigner Yvonne Quill and then Killarney Traders’ Association official, Ray Madden, reached agreement with the political parties and independent candidates.
Ms Quill told KillarneyToday.com that she was “totally shocked” to learn that the Greens had erected posters within the urban boundary.
“That agreement has never been broken before and we’re not giving up now. Personally, I think this is a disgrace and to think that, of all parties, it’s the Greens that are involved,” she said.
KillarneyToday.com made attempts to contact the Green Party press officer – by telephone, email and text – this afternoon but no response has yet been forthcoming despite messages being left.
Ironically, the Green Party nationally has spoken in favour of reducing the number and visual impact of campaign posters used during elections.
During her Euro elections campaign, Green MEP Grace O’Sullivan remarked: “Citizens have regularly shown their opposition to the visual impact of these posters and with more candidates for more parties than ever running now, these effects are only going to get worse”.
She added: “As well as the visual impact, electoral posters generate a significant amount of plastic waste, much of which is difficult or impossible to recycle. They can also cause dangers to cyclists, pedestrians, the visually impaired and other street and pavement users.”
The Greens are in favour of creating European-style designated poster areas in public spaces during elections with equal space given to all candidates under the stewardship of the local authorities.
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