The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr Michael McDowell, T.D., today announced that an anti-graffiti pilot project will commence next month, July 2006.

The pilot project aimed specifically at combating graffiti in Dublin City, Galway City and Bray, Co. Wicklow was initiated by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, in consultation with the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.

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 the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform in conjunction with RAPID (Revitalising Areas by Planning, Investment and Development) area co-ordinators, the local authorities concerned and An Garda Síochána.

Cleaning contractors have recently been invited to tender for the project and it is intended that the clean-up work will commence in the latter half of July 2006. The allocated budget the programme is 3m Euro in 2006.

Making the announcement the Minister said, "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 keeping sites graffiti free.

It will be overseen by a Steering Group comprising representatives from the three Government 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."

Primary responsibility for cleaning up graffiti rests with Local Authorities under the Litter Pollution Act, 1997. This project will be separate from, and in addition to, the graffiti abatement programmes carried out on an ongoing basis by the local authorities.

14 June 2006