Love is all around…unfortunately

While out walking her dog around Millennium Park on February 15, Sinn Fein Councillor Angela Donnelly says the well known Wet Wet Wet hit from 1994 popped into her head.

This is because someone tried to share some love by writing the word “love” in several places around the Millennium Park the previous day.

This added to the already growing incidents of graffiti throughout the Millennium Park.

“It is so frustrating to see graffiti all over our public spaces,” Councillor Donnelly told Northside People.

“Fingal’s operation’s department have really improved these areas over the past few years and have spent a lot of money doing so, removing graffiti is using resources (both people and money) that could be used elsewhere to enhance our open spaces further.

“There is graffiti all over Dublin 15.

“I’ve submitted fourteen separate representations to the operation’s department of Fingal County council asking that the graffiti be removed, since the 1st of January this year.

“During that same time a total of 159 complaints have been received from both councillors – 85 and the public – 74.

“Graffiti can be seen in every public park and open space.

“Utility cabinets are covered with it as they are a nice blank canvass, as are Fingal’s older bins.

“The new solar bins are not as bad because they do not have a blank area”.

Cllr Donnelly said there are steps that can be taken to minimise the amount of graffiti in the local area.

“I’ve asked Fingal County Council to organise the painting of the utility cabinets, and this has happened on a limited basis with some stunning results,” she said.

“I also submitted a question to our local area meeting of 22nd February asking that the older bins be “wrapped” to curtail graffiti.

“I thought wrapping the bins with a colourful design would be an easy deterrent, but the council’s response was not encouraging: ‘The Operations Department does not provide bin-wraps.

“Tidy Towns or Residents Groups could make an application to the Environment Department under the national Anti Litter Anti Graffiti Scheme’.

“In my opinion this is not good enough and we cannot abdicate our responsibility to volunteer organisations.

“I’ve also reached out to utility companies asking them to work with communities to address this issue.

“I thought it would be a good idea for local clubs, groups, schools etc to be given a utility box as a project to advertise their club, school, dance group etc.

“I’ve received a holding email but am yet to receive a response. “