Reply - Q9 Dedicated graffiti removal team

COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF CLONDALKIN, NEWCASTLE, RATHCOOLE, SAGGART AND BRITTAS AREA COMMITTEE

Wednesday, June 21, 2023

QUESTION NO. 9

QUESTION: Councillor F. Timmons

To ask the Chief Executive would he consider that SDCC establish a dedicated graffiti removal team for all South Dublin especially from public areas and to give an update on each graffiti site highlighted by Clondalkin Tidy Towns.?

REPLY:

South Dublin County Council is responsible for ensuring that public roads are kept litter free (including graffiti) in so far as it is practically possible, and the prevention of the creation of litter through the following measures:

Enforcement and Regulation
Public Realm operations programmes
Delivery of Communication, Education & Awareness programmes
Development of protocols for response to service requests

SDCC removes graffiti as it arises around the County, using staff and probation services to respond urgently to any graffiti that is considered offensive due to its content.

To assist in combatting Graffiti, The Anti-Litter and Anti-Graffiti Awareness Grant is made available to community groups and schools through the Environmental Awareness Section. In addition, the South Dublin Canvas project continues to be delivered and is used to discourage graffiti on traffic light boxes.

It is a criminal offence to deface property, and it is a requirement of Section 20 of the Litter Pollution Act 1997 for property owners to remedy defacement.

The purpose of this protocol is to set out clearly the basic principles for the Council’s management of graffiti, and to provide consistency in approach to graffiti removal across the county:

If the graffiti is on public property, the Council will arrange for its removal. Depending on the type of surface chemicals or paint will be used.
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.
If the graffiti is on utility boxes belonging to utility companies, the company concerned will be contacted and requested to remove the graffiti. There is currently a formal Memorandum of Understanding in place with four utility providers. These will be kept under review as part of this protocol.

In a limited number of circumstances, it may not be possible to remove the graffiti owing to difficulties accessing sites.

There is continuous assessment of benefits and rewards available under the Social Credits Scheme and as groups develop and engage in the Social Credits Scheme more requests are being received and approved for assistance with removal of Graffiti.

A full evaluation of the graffiti removal situation in the County is required and will be undertaken as part of the Litter Management Plan review. The idea of a dedicated graffiti team can be considered as part of this review. The provision in the 2023 budget for graffiti removal is limited and the extension of the service, if required, will have implications for the Budget. This issue will need to be addressed when the estimate of expenditure for Budget 2024 is being prepared.

Clondalkin Tidy Towns continue to highlight many graffiti sites around their local area. SDCC continue to work with Public Realm, the Probation service crews, other Departments in SDCC responsible for certain graffiti sites and also the utility companies who own the utility boxes. We strive to remove graffiti as quickly as possible especially in cases where it is offensive and are disheartened just as much as the Tidytowns committee, Councillors and the public to see more graffiti in place where it has only been removed from sites within days previous.