Agenda item

To consider the following Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor Des Guckian;

"That in light of COVID with its sudden deaths, Leitrim Co Council sharpens up its reaction to the need for emergency plots for the dead. People in the catchment of Carrick-on-Shannon and other Council operated cemeteries in this Municipal area, worried by the situations arising, have been enquiring about getting new plots. They have been met with obfuscation. I wish to ask engineer Darragh O Boyle, as the person in charge, if he will now give an undertaking to each bereaved family that a new burial plot can and will be made available, at a standard modest charge, within an hour s notice."

Report by Director of Services for Economic Development, Planning, Environment and Transportation.

"The Allocation of Burial Plots by Leitrim County Council is done in accordance with the Leitrim County Council Burial Grounds Policy 2016-2022 which was adopted by the members of Leitrim County Council on 11th July, 2016.  Burial Plots are allocated by Graveyard Caretakers who are based within the community and whose duty it is to allocate grave spaces as the need arises in a compassionate and dignified manner.  As set out in the Burial Grounds Policy, Plots are allocated as need arises on the demise of a person and can also be allocated in advance in specific circumstances where medical evidence is submitted e.g.  where a person receives a terminal diagnosis or similar situations.  Where a spouse is still alive, a double or family plot will be allocated.  Regard is given to special circumstances also such as a sole surviving offspring or sibling.  Prior to the adoption of this Policy, grave spaces could be allocated in advance.  However, this resulted in grave plots being acquired in advance of need with the result that many of our burial grounds had only limited unallocated spaces available (Plots were often purchased by healthy people where there was no imminent need for the plot, this policy also resulted in plots being acquired in advance by people who subsequently leave the area and are unlikely to return).  The introduction of the new Policy ensured a more ordered allocated of spaces as the need arises but also with the capacity to take account of specific family and medical circumstances as the need arises.  

The cost of Burial Plots in County Leitrim are 250 for a single plot and 500 for a double plot.  These fees have not been reviewed since 2007 and compare favourably with costs of plots in other Counties.  

The Burial Ground Policy will be due to be reviewed in 2022 and will be brought to the members of Leitrim County Council at that time for their consideration.

The above Policy applies to Cemeteries which are In charge of Leitrim County Council  Leitrim County Council have no role in the allocation of Burial Plots in Cemeteries which are not in our charge."

Councillor Des Guckian gave the background to his motion and proposed that all grave space applications should be logged centrally, and such a policy should be in place in the case of death especially during COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr Darragh O’Boyle, Senior Executive Engineer outlined that the allocation of Burial Plots by Leitrim County Council is carried out in accordance with the Leitrim County Council Burial Grounds Policy 2016-2022 which was adopted by the members of Leitrim County Council.  Burial Plots are allocated by Graveyard Caretakers who are located within the community and whose duty it is to allocate grave spaces as the need arises in a compassionate and dignified manner.  Plots are allocated as the need arises or plots can be allocated to persons suffering a terminal illness. As set out in the Burial Ground Policy Leitrim County Council cannot allocate burial plots to people who are in perfectly good health.

Councillor Sean McGowan acknowledged that the Burial Ground Policy currently in place is working fine.