Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 162: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will make additional resources available to South Dublin County Council to allow for the effective removal of graffiti along the Luas line at a location (details supplied). [23661/10]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Management and enforcement responses to litter problems, including defacement by graffiti, are a primary responsibility of each local authority to be met from their existing resources. My Department also provides anti-litter and anti-graffiti awareness grants to local authorities to encourage long-term behavioural change in this regard.

It is a matter for each local authority, in this case South Dublin County Council, to ensure that their functional area is, as far as practicable, kept free of litter, including graffiti. I am satisfied that local authorities have adequate powers under the Litter Pollution Acts 1997 to 2009 to tackle the problem of graffiti and adequate resources to discharge their responsibilities. Sections 19 and 20 of the 1997 Act empower local authorities to take action in relation to graffiti and, as necessary, to remove or otherwise remedy the defacement. Each local authority must determine the level of expenditure on individual local services as part of its annual estimates process and prioritise its resources accordingly.