FINE GAEL has denied making representations to have posters attacking the Government removed from sites at a number of agricultural marts.
The Fianna Fail posters were removed from marts at Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, and Tullamore, Co Offaly, at the weekend. They quote the Democratic Left leader, Mr Proinsias De Rossa, as saying: "They are rolling in it" in reference to farmers. The poster says: There is noting at the end of the Rainbow for farmers.
The company which rented the sites for Fianna Fail has sent a solicitor's letter to the company from which it rented them demanding that they be put up again, according to a Fianna Fail spokesman.
Fianna Fail's agriculture spokesman Mr Joe Walsh, maintained yesterday an official in the office of the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Yates, had contacted the marts seeking the posters' removal. A Fine Gael spokesman denied this, suggesting that when the mart managements saw the posters, they decided to remove them themselves for fear of being seen to be politicised.
Mr Walsh said the poster was a legitimate election poster. It is up to people to take whatever they want from it. It's an accurate quote from Mr De Rossa, a Cabinet Minister having a go at a sector of the economy. It's on the record, it's the truth and it's deeply embarrassing for Fine Gael. They know the farming community is very upset and they want to cover it up. We are just reminding them of it."
Mr John Tyrrell, director general of the Irish CoOperative Organisation Society, said yesterday it did not support political advertisements at marts. "Advertisement at cooperative marts provides information to farmers on farm services and products. ICOS is strictly an apolitical organisation."