We take our obligations under the law very seriously and strenuously adhere to the regulations regarding referendum posters. All of our posters bear contact details as required by law. On the rare occasion where a volunteer erects a poster in a location that is not allowed, the poster is moved.
With regards to queries that have been raised by Tidy Towns Committees, we fully appreciate the concerns but would make the following points:
- The referendum takes place on May 25th. By law, all posters must be removed within seven days, on Friday, 1st June. The Tidy Towns Competition runs during June, July and August with the result due in September. We will be ensuring that our posters are taken down immediately after the referendum so they will not impact on the Tidy Towns Competition in any way.
- We fully intend to co-operate and liaise with local communities as much as we can between now and referendum day should it be feasible to find locations that limit the visual impact within town centres without unreasonably impeding the effect of informing the public on this important referendum matter.
- We are concerned that the removal of posters would result in a situation where the public would be deprived of the information they need to make an informed decision on May 25th. We are less than 40 days away from a referendum that is proposing to remove the right to life from the Constitution and introduce unrestricted abortion up to 3 months, at a stage when a baby has a beating heart, a face and is sucking his or her thumb. It is vital that the public are afforded to opportunity to hear the facts so they can make up their own mind. Referendum posters are an important part of conveying information to the public that they would not otherwise get.