COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

south dublin county council crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, April 08, 2013

QUESTION NO. 5

QUESTION: Councillor J. Lahart

To ask the Manager to outline what measures the Council is taking to tackle the growing incidence of graffiti in the county?

REPLY:

The Council currently provides a wide-ranging response to graffiti in the County with information about graffiti prevention and awareness forming part of the Council's Environmental Awareness role with both community groups and schools and, as part of the Litter Management Plan 2011-2014, ongoing campaigns highlight the role everyone plays in keeping the county clean including an anti-graffiti message. The Environmental Awareness team also distribute annual Anti-Graffiti grants to initiatives seeking to promote public awareness and education in relation to graffiti.  This Grant Scheme has a particular focus on voluntary initiatives by community and environmental groups, and on involving schools and young people in anti-graffiti awareness actions.

In addition, the Council’s Graffiti programme incorporates the existing resources provided by the Council's Graffiti Removal Crew and Anti-Litter Wardens, together with the well established initiative with the Probation Services in dealing with reported graffiti to provide a prompt response to removing graffiti where required.  Once fully established, the public realm operational arrangements will result in a wider range of operatives carrying out graffiti removal duties throughout the County.

These various aspects provide a broad approach to tackling graffiti but it should be noted that the eradication of this problem will require the long-term application of these and similar projects to ultimately create a cultural change.

When a report of graffiti is received, the local Litter Warden will inspect the location and determine whether the graffiti is on public or private property. Where graffiti is on private property, it is the responsibility of the owner/occupier to remove it.  If graffiti is on public property, its treatment is dependant on the surface it is on.  The Council’s staff apply paint or cement to walls in public areas to remove graffiti while the Probation Services staff are provided with graffiti removal chemicals supplied by the Council and their available crews apply the chemicals and wash off graffiti where possible.

The costs associated with graffiti removal will total approximately €140,000 in 2013.