15/04/08
Green Party Dublin 15 representative, Roderic O’Gorman, has welcomed the announcement by the Minister for the Environment, John Gormley TD, that he is to launch a joint programme with the Department of Justice to support local communities in dealing with graffiti.
“Across Laurel Lodge, Carpenterstown, Castleknock and Blanchardstown, a regular complaint I am hearing from residents is that graffiti is becoming more and more common. It is affecting both public and private property. It’s great to see a Minister who is committed to tackling within communities. John Gormley regularly raised the issue of graffiti while the Green Party was in opposition – now as Minister he is rolling out a programme to deal with it”.
The first set of funds to be allocated will be ring-fenced to RAPID areas, while from May on, all communities will be able to apply for the grants.
“The key aspect of this programme will be funding local community groups to take their own initiatives to deal with the problem. This takes account of the fact that a ‘one-size fits all’ approach may not be suitable to dealing with the issue. Minister Gormley has provided a budget of € 3.75 million to back the scheme.
“This funding will support a range of practices such as graffiti removal, targeted initiatives against graffiti offenders, better types of landscape design and community art projects to divert young persons from vandalism in the first place. As such, the scheme has a broadly positive focus. I would urge local groups in Dublin 15 to investigate if the programme would be of benefit to their activities”, concluded Roderic O’Gorman.
Ends
Further Information
Roderic O’Gorman: 087 417 9777
rodericogorman@gmail.com
Note to Editors
Community Graffiti Reduction Programme
The Community Graffiti Reduction Programme is a new national initiative following on from a pilot project carried out by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. It aims:
- To support an immediate reduction in the extent and impact of graffiti within the communities who participate in the programme;
- To develop local mechanisms within these communities to support the long-term reduction of incidences of graffiti.
The programme is sponsored by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, the Department of Environment Heritage and Local Government and the Department of Community Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. It will be managed and delivered by Pobal. In 2008 up to €3.75 million is being made available to fund projects.
Local groups (including tidy towns groups) or consortia of groups and state agencies, with at least three years experience of working on environmental and community safety issues, are eligible to apply for funding.
The programme will fund the following range of activities:
• Graffiti removal: Practical identification and removal of any graffiti within a public space, or on private property which is visible from a public space.
• Identification of improved landscape design. This will include work with Local Authorities, businesses or others to identify methods to reduce the targeting of individual sites for graffiti and the impact of graffiti on these sites by the improvement of planting, fencing and other arrangements.
• Targeted initiatives (including training initiatives) to work with young adult offenders or young adults at risk to include them in anti-graffiti activities.
• Educational initiatives on graffiti with broad groups of young people within the targeted area. This may include work with youth groups, sporting groups, clubs, schools etc to educate children on the effects and impact of graffiti on the quality of life of local communities, initiatives to change young people*s perceptions of graffiti, or work to broaden the understanding of young people of graffiti as an issue of environmental degradation.
• Supporting businesses in self-help to stop or remove graffiti. As part of a wider initiative, funds can be made available to supply business with graffiti cleaning kits, or to offer advice and support on preventative anti-graffiti measures.
• Community arts projects to divert young people from destructive graffiti. These can include collaborative work with groups of children and young people on arts projects and on the creation of outdoor and publicly visible arts projects, which offer outlets for artistic creation without the negative effects of graffiti.
Funding Phases and Mechanisms
Funding will be allocated in two phases. The first phase, Scheme A, will be confined to RAPID (Revitalising Areas through Planning, Investment and Development) areas only. The second phase, Scheme B, will be available nationally.
Under Scheme A, eligible groups may access an immediate budget (€30,000) to begin graffiti removal activities. This will be followed by the national Scheme B which will support longer-term and more varied actions to reduce and control graffiti.
Under scheme B, grants of between €50,000 and €150,000 are available.
Scheme B will commence in May 2008.
