Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 4 March 2004
18 Mr. Gogarty asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the measures to make candidates in elections accountable to ensure removal of plastic poster ties on lamp posts by requiring that each political party or independent candidate have a distinct identifiable colour coded tie which can identify the offending candidate, if it was not removed after the election was over. [7220/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt is the duty of political parties and others involved in elections and referenda to comply with litter legislation and primary responsibility for enforcement of that legislation lies with local authorities. My Department has written to all local authorities and the political parties on a number of occasions, drawing their attention to the provisions in the Litter Pollution Acts 1997 to 2003 on the exhibition and distribution of election-referendum advertising materials, including the need to remove all posters and poster ties within seven days of the polling date. Local authorities have also been requested to explore with the political parties the possibility of having appropriate arrangements put in place at local level to remove election poster ties and thus eradicate this particular litter problem. Such arrangements could then apply for future elections or referenda. I have no proposals along the lines of that to which the question refers.
