Cost of removing graffiti from railway bridge in Limerick almost doubles

THE cost of cleaning graffiti from a railway bridge in the city  has almost doubled,  from an original quote of €40,000 to €70,000. 

The reason for the price increase, Cllr Sarah Kiely has been told, is “safety concerns”. 

Cllr Kiely raised the matter of the graffiti on the railway bridge at Childers Road at a meeting of the full council last week where she argued that the council should not have to foot the bill.

“This bridge belongs to Irish Rail,” she pointed out. as the bridge was not council property. 

Limerick council faces 'staggering' bill to remove graffiti from railway bridge

She had contacted Irish Rail on the issue, she told her fellow councillors, but “never got a response in two years”.

“It is not OK for council funds to be used on Irish Rail property,” she said and she asked that the council executive contact Irish Rail on the matter. 

She also took issue with an agreement with Iarnród Eireann going back to the early 1980s where the council took responsibility for maintaining the bridge. 

Since last week’s meeting, Cllr Kiely told the Limerick Leader,, Irish Rail has come back to say it is the council’s responsibility as per agreement and they will not be doing anything about the bridge. 

She has also discovered that the cost of cleaning it has shot up by €30,000. 

Cllr Kiely has now spoken to the council executive and has asked them to find the additional money to clean the bridge. 

“A preventative solution is needed going forward so I’ve asked for that now, as well as the clean-up and painting,” she said. 

Graffiti is a “blight on our city and towns”,  the Limerick City East councillor believes, and she wants the council to improve their response time in removing graffiti and to adopt adopt a “zero tolerance” approach to the problem. 

Graffiti is a constant black mark against the city when it comes to IBAL’s litter ratings, she pointed out