Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 238: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will provide additional supports to South Dublin County Council to allow further action to be taken in respect of the problem of graffiti in Tallaght and the wider Dublin South-West constituency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3742/09]

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 own resources. My Department also provides anti-litter and anti-graffiti awareness-raising 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 its 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 2003 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 incidents of graffiti and, as necessary, to remove or otherwise remedy the defacement.

I am fully aware of the major blight on communities caused by graffiti, and I am committed to tackling graffiti vandalism. To this end, following the evaluation of a pilot anti-graffiti programme carried out by my Department, the Department of Justice, Equality & Law Reform and the Department of Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs during 2006 and 2007, a new Community Graffiti Reduction Programme was launched in April 2008, which is being administered by Pobal on behalf of the Departments involved. Up to €3 million was made available in 2008 to fund suitable projects under this programme, including projects being carried out in Tallaght and the wider Dublin South West constituency. The key aims of this programme are to support an immediate reduction in the extent and impact of graffiti within participating communities and to develop local mechanisms to support the long term reduction of incidences of graffiti. Full details of the programme are available at www.pobal.ie

I am confident that these measures, with their emphasis on both graffiti removal and on long term initiatives to combat the problem of graffiti vandalism, will enable the local authorities and communities to work together to develop coherent long term strategies to tackle the problem.