General Elections in Ireland

Information

A general election must be held in Ireland within 30 days of the dissolution of the Dáil. The procedure is, that the Clerk of the Dáil issues a writ to the returning officer in each constituency instructing him or her to hold an election.

The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government will then appoint a polling day, which must be between the 17th and the 25th day after the writ has issued. (The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in Ireland has responsibility for overseeing the conduct of elections and referenda). The Minister also designates the polling period, which must be for a duration of at least 12 hours between 8.00a.m.and 10.30p.m.

If you are interested in reading about general elections in Ireland, you may also be interested in the following documents:

• Who can be elected to the Dail
• How do you become a Dail candidate
• Who can vote at a Dail election
• How do you vote in a General Election
• How are the votes counted
• Can you question the results of a Dail election
• What are the rules about election expenses

General election posters and signs

The law in Ireland forbids the erection of posters/signs on poles or other structures in public places unless you have the written permission of the owner of the pole or other structure in advance of putting up the posters/signs. There are no rules in place regarding how far in advance of a general election that posters and signs can be erected. However, local authorities have the power to introduce bye-laws if they so choose to set down when promotional material can be erected. Local authorities also have the power to remove these items should they disintegrate or cause a litter nuisance.

Following a general election, a party/candidate must remove posters within a seven day period. After that date, an on-the-spot fine of €150 is issued by your local authority in respect of each offence. Your local authority will remove the poster as the fine is issued. If a party/candidate has been issued with a fine and refuses to pay, they can be prosecuted in the District Court by your local authority to enforce payment. The maximum penalty in the District Court following summary conviction for non-payment of the fine is €3,000.