Updated 1.45pm
THE YOUTH WING of the Labour Party has admitted that its latest posters, criticising what it says is the “hypocrisy of Fianna Fáil”, may break they law but it is prepared to pay the fine.
Labour Youth has erected posters around Dublin City Centre under those advertising a ‘Cost of Living Crisis’ meeting organised by the Fianna Fáil MEP candidate for Dublin, Mary Fitzpatrick, slamming what it says is the “blatant hypocrisy of Fianna Fáil”.
The posters carry messages such as ‘FFS’ and ‘WTF’ and ‘FFECKERS’ with messages underneath that read ‘Who are Fianna Fáil trying to blame for their mess?’ and ‘Don’t forget, it was Fianna Fáil that created the crisis’.
Fianna Fáil hit back this afternoon, a spokesperson saying the initiative “neatly sums up the crisis at the heart of the Labour Party”.
As well containing potentially vulgar or offensive language, the posters do not contain details of any event or public meeting being organised or details of who has paid for or published them.
All of which means they are likely in breach of Dublin City Council protocols and the Litter Pollution Act 1997, putting Labour Youth at risk of fines of over €100.
However, the youth wing’s chair Ciarán Garrett did not appear concerned when asked about it today, saying any fines incurred will “have to come out of our own pockets”.
He said it was “completely hypocritical” of Fianna Fáil to talk about the cost of living crisis that it had caused by its actions in government.
“Many people in Labour Youth felt they had to do something about this,” he said.
“The greater legacy is the state Fianna Fáil have left the country in. The only ones who should be apologising here are Fianna Fáil.”
A Labour spokesperson was similarly unperturbed by the posters’ legality, describing the campaign as a “very imaginative” one organised “by an enthusiastic and angry bunch of people”.
Responding this afternoon, a spokesperson for Fitzpatrick said: “This initiative neatly sums up the crisis at the heart of the Labour Party and the choice facing voters. On one side, voters see Mary Fitzpatrick, who understands the cost of living crisis facing Dublin families and is focussed on coming up with solutions.
“On the other they see the Labour Party, which introduced many of the stealth taxes driving up the cost of living, devoid of ideas, reduced to juvenile slogans and still thinking they’re fighting the last election.”
These posters appear to have come from the same team as the famous ‘Protect Child Benefit’ posters which appeared before that same election.”
First published 12.42pm
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