Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. The question on posters is my pet question. I love it because I successfully ran my 2020 general election campaign without a single poster. I am of the view that posters should be banned or restricted. I would love to see candidates and political parties putting their resources into providing good information to the electorate, both online and in print. It would create a level playing field. Obviously, it is more challenging for new candidates. I was 16 years on a council and was well known around Kilkenny and Carlow. I hope that the commission, once established, will be considering issues such as this. It is time-sensitive in the sense that the next scheduled electoral event will comprise the 2024 local and European elections. At that point, perhaps, the commission could issue a set of recommendations to the Oireachtas and local authorities on posters, ideally restricting them to designated sites on the periphery of large towns. In an era of climate emergency, posters are an unnecessary campaign tool.

Mr. Barry Ryan, from our franchise section, might respond specifically on the second question, on the oath made to presiding officers.