COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF TALLAGHT AREA COMMITTEE

Monday, October 23, 2023

QUESTION NO. 4

QUESTION: Councillor M. Duff

"Would the Manager advise this Area Committee if the advertisement of "Public Meetings", by political parties or individuals, using posters and cable ties, in public spaces, where such meeting are online meetings and public participation requires access to a link on Teams or Zoom etc, and do such meetings meets the criteria for Public Meetings required for erecting posters, in these circumstances?"

REPLY:

Section 19(7)(b) of the Litter Pollution Act, 1997 (the Act) provides that:

"it shall not be an offence for a person to exhibit an advertisement if the advertisement advertises a public meeting, other than an auction, unless the advertisement has been in place for 30 days or more prior to, or for 7 days or more after, the date specified in the advertisement for the meeting."

The Act and, it seems, the law is silent as to the definition of a "public meeting". It has been generally accepted that a public meeting means any gathering organised for discussion of matters of interest to the general public, which is held in a public place, i.e. a place where public have access to.

Posters for public meetings can be displayed in accordance with Section 19(7) of the Litter Pollution Act as above. 

As the members are aware, during the Covid 19 emergency, South Dublin County Council amended standing orders to provide for it's "Place of Meetings" to include a virtual meeting using MS Teams, or another online platform as chosen by the Council. This provision remains unchanged in the standing orders.