Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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246. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will reinstate funding for local authorities to help clean up graffiti (details supplied). [25797/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department does not provide specific funding allocations for the removal of graffiti. Local authorities receive income from a variety of sources including grants from Central Government, Local Property Tax proceeds, commercial rates and other locally-raised charges. It is a matter for each local authority to determine its own spending priorities, having regard to both locally identified needs and available resources. I understand that graffiti cleanup costs may previously have been supported by funding made available through the Environment Fund; that Fund falls under the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and the Environment.

Defacement of any structure, unless authorised in writing, in advance, by the owner, occupier or person in charge thereof is an offence under the Litter Pollution Acts and also constitutes criminal damage under the provisions of the Criminal Damage Act 1991, which fall under the remit of  my colleagues, the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and the Environment and the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality, respectively.