Council’s fatal accident call-out fees dead loss for Galway undertakers

It took a call to eight undertakers in Connemara before one of them would attend a fatality – because the call-out charges are so poor from Galway County Council.

Now the Council have been urged to revisit the amount of money they pay to undertakers who are called out to tragic accidents and suicides at all hours of the night.

It seems that undertakers are paid a minimum fee of €56 for being called out to take a body to a morgue so that a post mortem examination can be carried out.

Undertakers are unhappy with the situation because they can be called out at all hours of the night and often need to bring a second person with them.

But the payment, which is the responsibility of Galway County Council, often does not cover the cost of the call-out which is why the emergency services often find it difficult to source an undertaker.

But it was revealed at the annual budget meeting of the local authority that the Gardaí had to ring eight undertakers in Connemara before one agreed to come out to a fatality to collect the body.

According to Cllr Sean Canney the payment to undertakers to come to the scene of a tragedy was simply not enough and had to be reviewed.

“They are simply not being paid for the service they provide. It is a matter that has to be addressed by the Council.

“I was informed of an incident in Connemara in which eight undertakers were phoned before one agreed to attend to a body,” Cllr Canney added.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.