Business leaders call for Lisbon posters to be removed

BUSINESS leaders in Cork have called on all political parties and groups to remove their Lisbon posters by tomorrow’s deadline.

The Cork Business Association (CBA) said anyone found flouting the Litter Pollution Act 1997 should face the full rigours of the law.

Penalties for illegal postering include a €125 on the spot fine with a maximum of €3,000 for a conviction.

However, election and referendum posters are exempt but they must be removed within seven days of the vote.

The deadline for the removal of all Lisbon referendum posters is tomorrow.

While most have been removed in the city centre, several were still visible in parts of Cork city and suburbs, including large billboard type hoarding featuring Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin on the Kinsale Road roundabout.

Several ‘No’ campaign posters are also still visible pasted on to streets poles and ESB transformers boxes at various locations around the city.

CBA chief executive Donal Healy described election postering as “graffiti in another form”.

“Now that the Lisbon Treaty has been voted upon, the CBA is asking that all political parties and other groups who placed posters on public property remove them immediately,” he said. “From an environmental point of view, we want the city returned to the way it was before the referendum campaigns.”

He also described as disgraceful the practice of removing the posters from street poles but leaving unsightly plastic ties wrapped around the poles.

“It was heartening to see the Minister for Education, Batt O’Keeffe, personally taking down posters on the Ballincollig Link Road on Saturday last at 7pm,” Mr Healy said.

“As good citizens and conscious of the problems with litter, we request that Cork is foremost in giving good example and keeping public areas clean and tidy.”

Local authority litter inspectors are responsible for enforcing the law in this area. They usually give political parties a generous period of time to remove posters after the deadline.

Politicians who miss the deadline can avoid a court appearance by paying the on-the-spot fine.

But those who continue to flout the law can face a court appearance and the embarrassment of being named and shamed.