John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Question 195: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the details of the proposed anti-graffiti pilot project in the Dublin South East constituency; the measures proposed; the areas in which the project will be undertaken; the date on which the project is to commence; the length of the project; the project's estimated cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23065/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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As the Deputy will be aware, primary responsibility for cleaning up graffiti rests with Local Authorities under the Litter Pollution Act, 1997. However, my Department, in conjunction with the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs has initiated a pilot project aimed specifically at combating graffiti in Dublin City, Galway City and Bray, County Wicklow. This project will be separate from, and in addition to, the graffiti abatement programmes carried out on an ongoing basis by the local authorities.

The areas which will be tackled in the initial pilot phase of the project are those most affected by graffiti. These areas are currently being identified by my Department in conjunction with the RAPID area co-ordinators, the local authorities concerned and the Garda Síochána. The pilot project will involve an initial major clean up of the worst affected sites followed by a rapid response cleaning maintenance programme aimed at maintaining sites free of graffiti. Cleaning contractors have already been invited to tender for the project and it is anticipated that the clean-up work will commence in the latter half of July 2006. The allocation for the programme in 2006 is €3 million. The pilot project will be overseen by a steering group comprising representatives from the three Departments and an independent evaluation of the programme has been commissioned in order to determine the programme's effectiveness. Should the programme prove successful in eliminating or significantly reducing the incidence of graffiti, consideration will be given to extending it to other areas.