Kerry County Council officials were yesterday urged "to look out the window" to find out what kind of a day it was before spending money on expensive weather-related advertisements.
Mr Danny Healy-Rae, independent councillor, said he had listened for two months to advertisements on local radio against lighting picnic fires and other such fires outside.
Yesterday when he could "hardly see the road in front of me with rain", he heard a similar advertisement against starting outdoor fires.
"Knowing what ads cost since the local elections, would ye ever look out the window to see what kind of a day it is before taking out these ads," he said.
He asked council officials to tell him who thought up the ads.
"What oil Saddam and the whole of Iraq have wouldn't light a fire in Kerry in this weather," he said.
Mr Healy-Rae was speaking during an attempt by officials to increase levies on building in Kerry to pay for playgrounds and walkways.
Cllr Seamus Cosai Fitzgerald (FG) said the increases of over €700 would push levies on young couples building houses to over €3,000, and this was unacceptable.
The money for playgrounds should come from central government, fellow Fine Gael councillors suggested.
The matter is now to go before a special policy committee for further debate.