Sir, - A report by Marie O'Halloran on the Litter Pollution Act and its implementation (The Irish Times, August 9th) states that the Act makes it illegal to use flyers to advertise. This is incorrect. The act gives local authorities the right to ban or impose restrictions on flyers if they so choose. Because the ban covers political leaflets (except during elections and referendums), I made strenuous efforts to have the Act amended to exempt political literature from such potential restrictions and failed. Noel Dempsey and Mairin Quill, who were in Opposition at the time, both tried to include such amendments and although Brendan Howlin, the relevant Minister, indicated he might consider this, they were unsuccessful.
I received no other help in this campaign, though I alerted the public through your letter columns and contacted several journalists. I was particularly disappointed that the ICCL, for whom this should be a core issue, ignored the matter.
I have not heard that Dublin Corporation passed such a by-law and I have urged it not to do so. This is a very serious attack on civil liberties and should be resisted.
Now that Noel Dempsey is in office I would urge that he make the necessary amendment. In that regard, Mairin Quill's amendment, which included matters of local national or international politics, was preferable to his own, which excluded the international. -Yours, etc.,
Aine Ni Chonaill, Rosscarbery, Co Cork.