Castleknock TidyTowns have launched a campaign to make the village poster-free for June’s elections.
The group said that during and after the last election in 2019, members observed the problems which extensive and indiscriminate election-postering caused in Castleknock.
During that campaign, posters came loose in the wind and created dangerous conditions for both cyclists and drivers, pedestrian barriers were covered in posters which hindered visibility and made crossing the roads more unsafe for children, hedges and gardens were littered with shredded posters and most of the cable ties were left in situ on poles after poster removal.
They said that there is no requirement for candidates/parties to mark their own cable ties with their identification it is not possible to identify the ownership of cable ties left in place after the permitted postering period, and they said results in huge quantities of cable ties not being removed.
As a result, the group say they intend to implement a voluntary Poster-Free Zone (PFZ) for the upcoming referendums on March 8th and any subsequent elections.
The members said that they take the democratic process “very seriously”, but it is “imperative” that people standing for election are given the chance to compete fairly and equally, and this applies particularly to new candidates.
CTT members understand that posters do play a part in the overall campaigns for candidates seeking election.
The voluntary Poster-Free Zone will just be confined to a short stretch through the village and will apply to the Castleknock Road from the pedestrian walkway to Dunsandle Court to the Park Drive roundabout plus limited sections of the approach roads, i.e. Auburn Avenue, College Road and Beechpark Avenue. Parties and candidates have the entire rest of Castleknock to erect posters.
“No one will be able to get in or out of Castleknock Village without passing candidate and political party posters,” they said.