Ross hammered over Garda station posters
Minister dragged into new Stepaside row as political ally ‘defaces’ barracks with election bills
TRANSPORTMinister ShaneRoss is embroiled in anotherembarrassing row to do with thecontroversial Step aside Garda station in his constituency , and hisclose political ally CllrKev in Daly .
Residents in the area have complained after several of MrDaly’s councilelectionposters, which also feature a photograph ofMr Ross, appeared on the walls ofthe Gardastation.
And the Office of Public Workssaid they are not permitted, afterinfuriated local people wrote tothem complaining.
One resident told the Irish Mailon Sunday: ‘This is a listed building.You cannot just go aroundinthedeadofnighthammeringpostersintoit.’
Another senior community figurewarned: ‘At a minimum, he ispoliticising the Gardaíor atleastthe stationwall. The old tea ladie sof Dundrum are not impressed.’
An OPW spokesperson said:‘ElectionpostersarenotpermittedtobeplacedonanypublicorStateownedbuildingsorproperties.’
TheOfficeremovedthepostersand said they had ‘contactedCllr Daly and advised him thatStepaside Garda station ‘is aState-owned building and that hispostershavebeenremoved’.
He‘wasadvisedtoarrangeforthecollectionoftheseposters’,thespokespersonsaid.
Onesourcenoted:‘HehadtostepasidefromthatposterinStepasidefairlysharpish.’
It is a State-owned building, they had to go
TheMoShasalsolearnedthatconcerns were raised at the veryhighestlevelwiththeGardaíandtheDepartmentofArtsandCulture,given ‘the historical significanceofthebuilding’.
A spokesperson for Mr RossdisassociatedtheMinisterfromhiscouncillorally.
They said: ‘The positioning ofthese, or any other posters, are amatterforthecouncillorconcernedand nothing to do with MinisterRoss.MinisterRosshasabsolutelyno say in where posters are putanddidnotknowwheretheywerebeingposted.’
C ll rD al yd id not respond torequests for comment this week .
The latest row comes just afew months after Mr Daly and MinisterRoss were involved in the ‘ Christmas sleigh ’ controversy , again involving the councillor’ s activities.
AtthetimeCllrDalyhadaSantasleighperchedontheroofofacarbearingMrRoss’snameandimage,withlightsonaChristmastreeanda slogan that read: ‘Happy Christmas.CllrKevinDaly,workingwithShane Ross TD. Like Santa, wedeliver.’
The sleigh had to be removedfollowing complaints to the RoadSafetyAuthority.