To ask the Minister for Infrastructure what budget there is for monitoring and assisting Councils with issuing penalty notices and the removal of graffiti from his Department’s property under Paragraphs 26 to 36 of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2011.

My Department has powers under the Roads (NI) Order 1993 to remove graffiti, however, given the significant financial pressure my department is under this work is considered lower priority than other functions, many of which are road safety related, that are funded from my Department’s finite resource allocation. As such my Department would currently not be in a position to support Councils in their application of such measures which I understand they are empowered to carry out under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act (NI) 2011.