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Tánaiste and Minister
for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. McDowell):
As the Deputy will be aware, primary
responsibility for cleaning graffiti rests with local authorities under
the Litter Pollution Act 1997.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.
Mr. Cuffe: 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.
Mr. McDowell: 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.
Mr. Howlin: There are plenty of big, high walls.
Mr. Cuffe: 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.
Mr. McDowell: 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.
Mr. Cuffe: The Minister seems well acquainted with the techniques
involved.
Mr. McDowell: If the Deputy is observant, he will know that such works
are mapped out one week and completed at a later stage.
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