Now that the date for the general election, November 29, is now officially set, candidate across the country will begin the race to the poles, to secure the best spot for their posters.
Posters for Clare Daly, with the slogan “keeping Dublin Central’s Independent voice” have popped up across the constituency.
A number of posters for Clare Daly have gone up across Drumcondra and Phibsboro
Ahead of the election, Ms Daly posted a video in May of a speech she gave in the European Parliament, outlining her objection to the use of the plastic posters, describing them as “eyesores”.
“In the next month you are going to see 600,000 plastic posters going up the length and breadth of the country for the European and Local elections,” Ms Daly said at the time.
“None of the are going to be made from recycled plastic. Even worse they are going to be exposed to the elements. These eyesores leaking millions of microplastic particles directly into the environment,” Ms Daly said.
The former MEP added that she would not engage in the use of these posters and said the issue must be tackled.
“The big parties with large numbers with every candidate on every lamppost. So while the people of Ireland have constantly rejected and argued for this nonsense to be scrapped, it still goes on.
“I for one, won’t be participating in it, and I really think this issue must be tackled,” Ms Daly said.
Ms Daly was first elected to the Dáil in 2011 in the Dublin North constituency and was re-elected in 2016 in the Dublin Fingal area.
In 2019, she ran in the European elections where she secured a seat in the Dublin constituency but lost her MEP seat in the recent European elections.
Ms Daly, who is part of Independents 4 Change, is now running in Dublin Central, where Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald and Minister Paschal Donohoe will also contest.
“I was contacted by some really outstanding Independent representatives and activists in Dublin Central and they asked me would I consider running there to kind of keep the really strong Independent tradition, the likes of Tony Gregory and Maureen O’Sullivan had represented,” Ms Daly said on running in the area.
“After a lot of talk, I said: ‘Why not throw the hat into the ring?’
Ms Daly has been contacted for comment.
