COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF TALLAGHT AREA COMMITTEE 1

Monday, February 18, 2008

QUESTION NO. 1

QUESTION: Councillor M. Corr

To ask the Manager to commit to providing a review and rapid response mechanism to the locations within the RAPID areas of Tallaght that suffer persistent and ongoing grafitti - this is to include properties that may be privately owned but rented and severely neglected by landlords, to provide communities with a resource such as a freephone voicemail or text number to assist the council by notifying of problem areas?

REPLY:

The Environmental Services Dept. is currently examining the need to provide a prompt response to graffiti vandalism in the Tallaght area which is likely to be directed at the town centre area in the first instance. Arrangements to ensure that graffiti continues to be tackled on an ongoing basis will be augmented by the establishment of the expanded Cleansing Section and the integration of the existing Graffiti Removal Team into this section.

The Council does not provide a graffiti removal service to privately owned premises, but rather intends to continue to deal with this issue through enforcement of the Litter Pollution Act 1997, where engagement with owners/occupiers and provision of materials to remove graffiti does not result in a satisfactory outcome.  Consultation between the various interested departments within the Council on this matter will continue to ensure that derelict sites do not remain untreated.  

There is a current freephone service available for litter complaints that will be examined with a view to incorporating graffiti complaints into.  The Customer Care Counter is the organisation wide method for receipt of SMS and e-mail contact from customers for all of the services provided by the Council.