An epidemic of disappearing election posters has been reported in the highly competitive constituencies of Wicklow and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown. There are also symptoms in Dublin North Central and Dublin South.
One of its victims ascribes three main causes to its spectacular virulence. "The weather, the Opposition and in some constituencies, your own party colleagues," said Minister of State Mary Hanafin.
She has already spent an extra €1,200 to replace 200 missing posters. She cannot turn to the Garda for help; removing election posters is not a crime (although for candidates, it is an offence to leave them up for too long after the election). The Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Fianna Fáil candidate has been forced to re-order 200 more posters at a cost of €6.30 each.
Green Party candidate Cllr Ciarán Cuffe said he had lost posters from near the Dún Laoghaire DART station and from Shankill.
A party spokesman said there was a problem in Dublin North Central, where up to 50 of the 300 posters for Bronwen Maher had disappeared. "To be fair, the wind may have blown away a few," the spokesman added. However, in particular areas "four and five have disappeared". The recyclable organic posters cost up to €7 each.
Labour's costs are more economical at €3.80 a poster, based on the print run. For this party, the disappearances are particularly noticeable in constituencies where it believes it has a chance of two seats - Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, where Éamon Gilmore and Niamh Bhreathnach are running, and Wicklow, where Liz McManus, Nicky Kelly and Jimmy O'Shaughnessy are candidates. "To an extent, that's a sign that our campaign is going well and other people are getting worried," a spokesman said.
Last week Fine Gael's Alan Shatter (Dublin South) and Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South Central) complained that 90 per cent of their posters had disappeared.
