Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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Question 87: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the progress made under the anti-graffiti pilot project which was to commence in July 2006; the areas which have been tackled during the initial pilot phase of the project; if there are plans to roll out the project to other areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36341/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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As the Deputy will be aware, primary responsibility for cleaning graffiti rests with local authorities under the Litter Pollution Act 1997.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Excellent legislation.

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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Yes, and I congratulate the Deputy on its introduction. However, earlier this year my Department, in conjunction with the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs initiated a pilot project, the GRO initiative, aimed specifically at combating graffiti in Dublin city, Galway city and Bray, County Wicklow. The project is separate from, and in addition to, the graffiti abatement programmes run on an ongoing basis by the local authorities.

The GRO initiative involves an initial major clean-up of the worst-affected sites in the pilot areas followed by a rapid response cleaning maintenance programme aimed at keeping sites free of graffiti. Following a tendering process completed in July, a total of seven contractors were engaged to carry out the initial clean-up operation, which commenced in August. Those contractors will also be responsible for the ongoing cleaning maintenance programme.

To date all sites in RAPID areas have been addressed and significant cleaning works have been completed. Work has been completed or is in progress in 19 separate locations as follows. In the Dublin City Council area, they are Ballymun; Finglas; the north-east inner city, East Wall area; the north-west inner city, the area bordered by Parnell Square, Parnell Street, the Four Courts and Kings Inns; on the north side, Coolock and Darndale; in the south-east inner city, the area bordered by the Quays, Westmoreland Street, Pearse Street, Westland Row and Macken Street; in the south-west inner city, the Dolphin's Barn area; in the south inner city, the area bordered by St. James's Hospital, Dolphins Barn, Marrowbone Lane, Thomas Street and James's Street; and Ballyfermot. In the Bray Town Council area, they are Hazelwood-Dargle Heights; Kilbride Grove; Ballywaltrim Heights; Oldcourt; and Ashfield Ballymorris. In the Galway City Council area they are Westside; Ballinfoile; Bohermore; New Mervue; and Ballybane.

Sites affected by graffiti outside RAPID areas are currently being surveyed with a view to extending the GRO initiative to them in coming weeks. We were initially going to confine the initiative to RAPID areas, but afterwards we decided that it would be a major policy mistake since the graffiti artists would simply find out where the RAPID area was and move elsewhere with a sense of impunity. We decided to go to RAPID areas first since the greatest concentration of graffiti vandalism has been there, after which we would go to other areas.

The pilot project is overseen by a steering group comprising representatives from the three Departments, and an independent evaluation of the programme has been commissioned to determine its effectiveness. Should the programme prove successful, consideration will be given to extending it to other areas and to other methods of assisting local authorities to make a real and determined effort to have rapid reaction units deal with graffiti vandalism.

Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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I am sure the Minister will agree that in some cases producing graffiti can be a legitimate form of artistic, political and cultural expression, but in many, if not most, cases, it is an act of downright vandalism that diminishes the community where it is committed.

Does the Minister accept that it is not enough simply to undertake a clean-up or ongoing maintenance without addressing the underlying causes of graffiti? Does he accept that we need more community policing on the ground and greater provision of amenities for young people? Will he consider prioritising for attention some of the fine stone and brick buildings defaced in recent years? There was a trend in years gone by to tackle concrete walls or the rear of buildings, but more recently we have seen fine protected structures and other buildings being destroyed by the worst kind of graffiti. Will the Minister ensure that priority is given to stone and brick buildings at risk of being defaced?

The fundamental point is this. Will the Minister accept that we must not simply undertake a clean-up but also work much more strongly with young people through community policing, using gardaí on bicycles and other measures, and provide amenities for them? I am very familiar with an area in my constituency that has seen a veritable explosion of graffiti. There is no swimming pool for miles and although there is a leisure centre, it does not have sufficient resources to cope with the young population locally. We need significant investment in providing amenities for young people as well as cleaning up the graffiti.

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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My experience has been that even in very well policed areas, those who term themselves "graffiti artists", whom I call "graffiti vandals", will carry out their work. Second, I am not inclined to agree with the proposition that there are legitimate and illegitimate graffiti. The fact that some vandals are technically more skilled than others does not excuse what they do. If there is a call for bare walls to be made available for people with artistic urges to express themselves, it is a matter for local authorities rather than for the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. Those bare walls are only in certain places.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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There are plenty of big, high walls.

Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Might the Minister consider making available suitable places for young people to express their artistic skills? The interior of the former Blackrock baths is the location of some fine artistic expression. This encapsulates the problem, namely, that a public amenity controlled by the local authority is lying derelict. In this instance, the young people are simply giving vent to their frustration regarding the lack of amenities being provided for them.

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I do not accept that frustration at the lack of amenities leads a person to purchase various cans of spray paint, to spend a night mapping out his or her proposed work of graffiti and to return to complete it on another occasion. I do not think this represents a cry for help regarding the provision of more swimming pools. I do not accept that proposition.

Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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The Minister seems well acquainted with the techniques involved.

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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If the Deputy is observant, he will know that such works are mapped out one week and completed at a later stage.