Graffiti costing Iarnród Éireann up to €750,000 a year

Iarnród Éireann is spending up to €750,000 a year on the removal of graffiti as artistic - and frequently less artistic - vandals target trains, buildings, bridges and tunnels across the rail network.

The company said a growing enthusiasm among spraypainters meant specially trained cleaning staff have to be deployed on a full time basis - with two operatives dedicated to cleaning graffiti from trains in Dublin’s Fairview depot alone.

Apprehending the graffiti artists and obtaining a successful prosecution is difficult, the company said. Last year just three convictions were obtained, with two fines of €500 each and one of €600.

Iarnród Éireann revealed the figures in an attempt to highlight what is a growing problem – and cost – for the company.

A spokeswoman said trains were increasingly being targeted by graffiti artists with staff using specialist cleaning agents costing €200 per drum to remove it. A drum would typically be used to remove paint from a heavily sprayed carriage - but there was a danger the original coat of paint on the carriage could be removed along with the graffiti, requiring an expensive respray.

Trains were increasingly being spray painted in stations right across the State, the spokeswoman said.

The company was keen to point out that not only does graffiti hit Iarnród Éireann in the pocket, it also inconveniences customers with trains having to be taken out of service to have graffiti removed.

“Acts of graffiti are a huge problem for us and we are hoping that by highlighting the problem we will deter would-be graffiti artists from defacing our property, not only is it a cost to Iarnród Éireann, and a huge inconvenience to our customers, but it is also a criminal offence,” the spokeswoman added.