INDEPENDENT PRESIDENTIAL candidate Seán Gallagher has announced he will not be using lamp post posters throughout his election campaign.

Gallagher had earlier called on his fellow candidates to avoid using posters ahead of the 27 October ballot.

Speaking at the Age Action Silver Surfer Awards in Dublin today, Gallagher said that he came to his decision on posters  after hearing from councillors, community groups and Tidy Town committees who complained that the posters are a source of unsightly litter.

He said that given the low number of candidates and the national platform of the election, “there is no need for posters”.

Yesterday, a new group called PosterFree.org called on all candidates to limit the “detrimental impact on our environment – visually and in terms of natural resources” by avoiding posters during this election campaign. The group told TheJournal.ie that it has contacted all of the presidential campaigns and urged them not to use posters.

A spokesman said that posters were effective years ago when there was no internet and less media, but that there is not the same need for them now. He also said that spending money on posters is excessive in the current financial climate.

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