Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Question 113: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 618 of 21 March 2006, the number of graffiti related charges brought in Dublin City in 2006; the progress made with the anti-graffiti campaign; if the action programme referred to has taken place with Dublin City Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9209/07]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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Following the submission to me in 2004 of a report and recommendations by an expert group on crime statistics, I decided that the compilation and publication of crime statistics should be taken over by the Central Statistics Office, as the national statistical agency, from the Garda Síochána. The Garda Síochána Act, 2005 consequently makes provision for this and the CSO has established a dedicated unit for this purpose. Following the setting up of the necessary technical systems and auditing of the data from which the statistics are compiled, I am pleased to note that the CSO is now compiling and publishing criminal statistics and has published provisional headline crime statistics for the third and fourth quarters of 2006. In addition, it has compiled and published a series of quarterly and annual statistics for the period starting with the first quarter of 2003. I understand that the CSO are examining how the crime statistics published might be expanded and made more comprehensive.

I have requested the CSO to provide the information sought by the Deputy directly to him.

My Department, in conjunction with the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, embarked on a pilot project which commenced in August, 2006, to specifically deal with the removal of incidents of graffiti. This initiative involves the removal of graffiti from sites within the pilot areas of Dublin City, Galway City and Bray, Co. Wicklow. Particular emphasis was placed from the outset on RAPID areas and the project has also been extended to other sites within the pilot project boundaries.

Sites chosen continue to be identified through the work of RAPID area coordinators, the local authorities concerned and the Garda Síochána. As soon as sites are reported to my Department, immediate arrangements are made to have them cleaned. The identification of graffiti sites in each of the pilot areas is an ongoing process. Over 1,300 sites affected by graffiti throughout the pilot areas have been identified to date and are either completed, in the process of being cleaned or due to be cleaned shortly.

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 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.

The Deputy may wish to note that this project is separate from graffiti abatement programmes carried out by the local authorities themselves on an ongoing basis.