Dublin City Council’s city management has revealed that more than €288 was spent on graffiti removal in the capital last year.
In a report to Dublin City councillor Paul McAuliffe, it is noted that some €288,947 was spent on the removal of almost 30,000 square metres of paint.
“These random acts of graffiti which many of us pass by each day really detract from from the look of the city but the money it costs to remove them is truly shocking,” said Cllr McAuliffe.
In each year the council and the Business Improvement District scheme remove up to 35,000sqm of spraypainted and scrawled drawings and slogans. While racist and paramilitary slogans are removed as a priority, the reality is that some grafitti is not removed for several weeks.
“We need to see more prevention and the Gardaí have to make better use of the CCTV schemes to clamp down on this antisocial behaviour,” said Cllr McAuliffe.
“There is some debate that this is art but when it is costs the city council more than the price of an old master oil painting, I know which one I’d choose.”
