CONVICTED OFFENDERS will be cleaning graffiti from city centre buildings in the coming months under a pilot project between the Probation Service and Dublin City Council.
The council has said that “dangerous criminals” will not be considered for the service and that offenders will be supervised at all times.
Labour will be provided free to the council.
Its waste management department will pay for any chemicals or paints necessary to remove the graffiti.
Each graffiti removal team will consist of a Probation Service supervisor, an industrial civil servant and five operatives. They will be equipped with a van and power washer, rollers, extension poles and chemicals.
All training and supervision will be carried out by the Probation Service.
The operatives will be offenders who have received a community service sentence.
Under the pilot project graffiti which requires removal will be identified in five parts of the city. All of the sites will be at ground-floor level, preferably on a laneway, underpass, Luas line or railway line.
No work will be carried out on city council housing and the council will be required to obtain permission or waivers for any graffiti removal on private property.
A review of the effectiveness of the scheme will be conducted before any decision is taken to use the Probation Service teams on a permanent basis.
