Seanad debates

Tuesday, 24 March 2009

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2009 [Dáil]: Second Stage

 

4:00 pm

Photo of Paudie CoffeyPaudie Coffey (Fine Gael)

They were all my own posters, not to mind my party's.

The Bill could have missed an opportunity to standardise poster sizes. The standard posters are 8 ft. by 4 ft., or 4 ft. by 2 ft., but the legislation could have been used to stop much of the unusual material one sees during election campaigns. It may have complicated the Bill but I feel we may have missed an opportunity to standardise posters. We are looking for a level playing field after all and such a measure could have achieved that in one respect.

Some towns, through the tidy towns committee for example, may request candidates not to put up posters at all and such requests are mostly complied with. If that is agreed locally I do not see any problem with it. It may be something that could be expanded upon in time.

The Minister of State referred to guidelines to be issued from local authorities on spending limits. It is late in the day now but have they already been prepared? What resources are available for local authorities to advise candidates in this respect? Is there a dedicated person in a local authority to provide such guidelines and explain them? Have those guidelines been published, considering the Bill will be enacted by the end of this week?

I referred earlier to periods of expenditure and the move from 30 days in a general election to 60 days in a local election. We will watch closely to see if candidates will begin spending before the 60-day period begins for the forthcoming local elections. I do not believe they will. Candidates will accept the Bill's provisions in this regard with trust and understanding that everyone should operate on a level playing field. On the day of the election it is the best candidate that wins. That is what democracy is all about and the Minister's intention, through this legislation, is to create a level playing field for as many local election candidates as possible.

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