A 20-fold increase in annual fees for billboard and roadside advertisement signs under the Planning and Development Act, 2000 has led to an e-mail campaign by bed-and-breakfast establishments.
Their intention is to "bombard" the Department of the Environment with objections to the increases over the coming days.
B&Bs which have recently received renewal notices for their roadside directional signs are being asked to pay €630 a year per sign. This is the same as firms putting up large roadside advertisement hoardings pay.
Until the renewal notices, many B&B premises had been unaware of the rise in charges, according to owners.
All advertisement structures are subject to the increased fees designed to cut down on the plethora of signs which dominate roads nationwide.
The increase in fees for small B&Bs in particular, and for directional and advertising signs for small premises, will lead to these charges being passed on to the consumer, owners say.