FF joins big spenders with advert campaign

FIANNA FÁIL was last night accused of making a mockery of election spending rules after it was revealed the party bought billboard space worth almost 750,000 in the six months prior to the general election.

Figures compiled by leading marketing company Poster Management Limited show the party bought more billboard advertising space than multi-million euro global corporations such as O2 and Budweiser.

Last night, Labour leadership contender Brendan Howlin, who as environment minister introduced the 1997 Electoral Spending Act, said the provision that spending be counted on from the date of calling the election must be reviewed.