COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF JOINT POLICING COMMITTEE

Friday, November 21, 2008

QUESTION NO.

QUESTION: Councillor C. O'Connor, TD

To ask the Manager if he can report progress on efforts to deal with the scourge of Graffiti throughout Dublin South West, which embraces Firhouse, Greenhills, Templeogue and Tallaght and will he make a statement.

REPLY:

The various Departments play an active role in combating the scourge of graffiti throughout the county.

The Council’s Housing Estate Management Section contributes annually to the budget of the Graffitti Removal Squad located within the Cleansing Unit.  Occasionally, in acute circumstances only  where the graffiti is of an offensive nature, the Estate Management team will fund the cost of its removal as a priority.

The Council’s EM Team works closely with the R.A.P.I.D. Co-Ordinators in identifying and agreeing locations within designated R.A.P.I.D. areas for removal of graffiti under the Graffitti Reduction Programme.  This programme, which is ongoing has proved very successful.  The EM Team also works closely with several Youth groups around the County many of whom have taken ownership of walls where murals have been painted to  benefit  the area.   The EM Team continues to work with junior groups in Fettercairn, Jobstown, Killinarden, Moorefield and Oldchurch estates where groups participated in urban art projects aimed at reducing/eliminating graffiti.  

 The planting of hedging and climbing plants as a deterrent to Graffiti, has become very important in recent years.  As part of the Arboricultural Programme each year, the Parks Department plants extensive areas of hedging and climbing plants particularly along visually prominent boundary walls fronting roads and open space areas e.g. in Aylesbury, Old Bawn, Cookstown Road, Belgard Road, Springfield Area, etc. The hedging and climbing plants when established also make a very positive contribution to the overall presentation of estates and provide for seasonal variation along property boundaries. It is proposed to continue the planting of hedges/climbers along walls in the Dublin South West area in the forthcoming 2008/09 Arboricultural Programme at appropriate locations.

Significant efforts have been made by the Council’s Environmental Services Department to tackle graffiti throughout the County with specific responses incorporating the resources provided by the Anti-Graffiti Team and Litter Wardens while the Council's Environmental Awareness Team supplements this by providing information about graffiti prevention and awareness to both community groups and schools.

Over 220 graffiti removals have been carried out in the Tallaght and Terenure/Rathfarnham electoral areas this year.