asked the Minister for Local Government if in view of the disfigurement of cities, towns and villages by indiscriminate commercial and political bill-posting and painting of slogans on roads and walls, he will introduce legislation making it a punishable offence to bill-post and paint slogans in unauthorised places.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Bill-posting and Painting of Slogans.
9.
Under existing legislation, county councils and county borough and borough corporations are empowered to make bye-laws for good rule and government and the suppression of nuisances. Such bye-laws may include a bye-law dealing with bill-posting and the defacement by writing or other markings of buildings, walls, doors, etc.
The introduction of further legislantion on the matter is, therefore, not necessary.
Mr. Ryan
Can the Minister tell the House whether any local authority has in fact passed such a by-law in relation to slogans and the disfigurement of public places?
If the Deputy asked that question we could possibly give him an answer.
Is it necessary for the Minister to be grossly rude in answering questions?
I understand that the right of supplementary question is merely to secure clarification of the Minister's answer, not to ask a completely different question. If a Deputy wants to get informed answers to questions the right course is to put them on the Order Paper.
If the supplementary question goes beyond the ambit of the original question it is quite possible to say that in a way that is not disagreeable. It is very often not what you are saying but the way you are saying it.
It is even possible to ask a Supplementary Question in an agreeable manner.
Ministers carry a certain additional responsibility to set an example in that matter.
Is the Minister aware that the worst offender of all in regard to indiscriminate bill posting is Deputy Ryan and the Fine Gael organisation in Dublin South-West?
And it was successful.
Is the Minister not aware that the worst offenders in this regard are Government Departments, particularly the Department of Agriculture who engage in indiscriminate bill-posting on E.S.B. standards and public and private property and make all sort of exhortations to farmers regarding their activities?
It still gets back to the fact that local authorities have these powers, if they decide to use them.
Mr. Ryan
A Leas-Cheann Comhairle——
I am calling question No. 10.