COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, September 21, 2015

MOTION NO.2

MOTION: Councillor P. Foley

To call on the Chief Executive for a scheme be developed where the council addresses the issue of graffiti removal in the cases of private properties facing out onto public areas? In many instances owners do not have the money or expertise to remove the graffiti themselves and I feel it is appropriate for the council to take this on as a responsibility.

There are many houses, schools, churches in our county which suffer greatly from the blight of graffiti and do not have the resources needed to repeatedly deal with it. When graffiti is then left on these walls the whole community suffers because the area is left unsightly.

REPORT:

Currently, when the Council receives a complaint about graffiti, the location concerned is inspected to determine if the graffiti is on public or private property.

If the graffiti is on private property, the owner of the property is written to and requested to remove it as soon as possible.

If the graffiti is on public property, the Council arranges for removal. Depending on the type of surface involved the Council endeavours to have it removed by the use of chemicals or by painting over it.

If the graffiti is on utility boxes belonging to utility companies, the company concerned is contacted and requested to remove the graffiti.

As part of development of the new Draft Litter Management Plan, a protocol for dealing with graffiti, including that on private property, has been published which provides as follows:

It is the responsibility of all property owners to remove graffiti from their premises.   Where graffiti is on private property the Council will request the property owner to remove the graffiti in the first instance.   Depending on the location, and if the property faces onto a strategic public place, the Council will endeavour to have the defacement removed. The Council will require indemnity from the property owner or an agent of the property owner to enter onto the property for the purpose of removal of the defacement.   The property owner or an agent of the property owner will sign an indemnity and in all cases there will be a fee involved.   No works will take place on private property in the absence of such indemnity and no chargeable work will be carried out until such charges are agreed by both parties.

In consulation with the Environment Public Realm and Climate Change SPC, it will be a matter for the Elected Members to amend or approve this protocol following consideration by the SPC of the formal public consultation process at its September SPC Meeting scheduled for 29th September 2015. 

It is anticipated that this item will come before the full Council Meeting and in considering the propocol Members shall have regard to resources available for graffiti removal.