Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council is investigating complaints against three politicians who seem to have given the starting signal general elections placing signs in advance.

The three, who plan to run in the four-seat electoral district of Dublin RathdownThey are sitting councilors Shay Brennan of Fianna Fáil, Maeve O’Connell of Fine Gael and independent Michael Fleming.

A council spokeswoman said it was investigating complaints that posters for candidates had been put up before the election date. Failure to remove an “illegal election poster” is subject to a fine of 150 euros per poster, he said.

The posters in question advertise “public meetings,” he said. This practice, which allows candidates to get a prime position on a light pole, does not constitute a crime if the sign is not posted more than 30 days before the date of the public meeting and is removed within seven days after the meeting.

The announcement of the meeting may be attached to an election poster, provided it covers a sign saying “Vote No 1” or any emblem requesting a vote for a candidate.

In the case of some of Cllr Fleming and Cllr O’Connell’s signs, the public meeting label had come off, revealing the appeal for a vote. The posters for Cllr Brennan’s public meeting remain intact, but the meeting was held on October 30, more than a week ago.

Cllr Fleming said he had been informed that some of the public meeting notices, which were stapled together, had become detached from their signs and that he had re-attached the notices to any signs where this had happened.

“I’m not breaking anything. “I have been checking the signs and I have fixed some of them, and I have consulted with the city council and I am categorically not breaking any laws.”

He added that he always recycles his signs to save waste “not like some environmentally focused parties.”

Cllr Brennan also said he had the environment in mind when announcing his meeting.

“I was holding a public meeting for which we initially printed a small run of posters. It was about a very popular and useful topic, careers in the EU, and we received many questions about it.

“I wanted to advertise it to more people, so instead of ordering more unique signs, it was a lot less wasteful to reuse some of my election signs, which had just been delivered,” he said.

The signs “are in full compliance with litter regulations,” he said.

Cllr Brennan said he realized he had gone “slightly” over the seven-day limit but hoped a “common sense approach” would be taken. “I really don’t think it’s reasonable to send people up a ladder twice in 24 hours,” he said.

Cllr O’Connell did not respond to questions from The Irish Times regarding her posters, announcing a meeting last Sunday on women in sport, several of which have since been transformed into election posters.

Any candidate would have 24 hours to fix or remove an “illegal election sign,” the council spokeswoman said.