COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF TALLAGHT AREA COMMITTEE

Monday, May 21, 2018

QUESTION NO. 3

QUESTION: Councillor D. Richardson

"To ask the Chief Executive to report on the amount of illegal signs removed and fines sent out to businesses and other offenders?"

REPLY: 

"Section 19 of the Litter Pollution Act 1997, as amended prohibits the placing of articles and advertisements on, and the defacement of certain structures.  Such structures relate to land, door, gate, window, tree, pole, or post which is visible from a public place.

Way-Finding signs of a temporary nature e.g. signs advertising a particular event require the approval of the Council’s Environment Department under the Litter Pollution Acts 1997-2003.

To date (30/4/2018) a total of 25 Fixed Penalty Notices were issued in respect of illegal signage under Section 19 of the Litter Pollution Act 1997, as amended.

In 2017 a total of 100 Fixed Penalty Notices were issued in respect of illegal signage under Section 19 of the Litter Pollution Act 1997, as amended. 

Under Section 71 of the Roads Act 1993 (as amended) any person who without lawful authority or the consent of a Roads Authority erects, places or retains on a public road any structure or thing used for the purpose of advertising, the sale of goods, the provision of services or other similar purpose shall be guilty of an offence.

A Local Authority has power to remove an unauthorised structure from the public road under Section 71 of the Roads Act 1993 and there are penalties for the removal of such signage.

Also under Section 254(9) of the Planning & Development Act 2000 (as amended), it is an offence to erect, construct, place or maintain an appliance, apparatus or structure on, under, over or along any public road without having a licence to do so.

If any way-finding structure has not been authorised by the Local Authority, it is an unauthorised structure.

The Roads Department are currently carrying out an analysis of all illegally installed signage and writing to the owners in this regard informing them of their obligations under the Planning and Development Act  (Section 254) as amended and Planning and Development Regulations 2000 (S.I. No. 600) as amended."