Funerals delayed over Council staff shortage

Date Published: 14-Apr-2011

By Denise McNamara

Families who want to bury their loved ones over the weekend have been forced to delay proceedings as a result of a shortage of Council staff.

The issue of burials on Saturdays and Sundays was raised at this week’s City Council meeting by Councillor Ollie Crowe, who believes there should be a change of policy to accommodate bereaved families.

A recent case involved complaints from one family to several councillors.

Council staff in the two city local authority cemeteries – Bohermore and St Joseph’s in Rahoon – can dig a maximum of four graves a day between both graveyards on Saturdays and Sundays.

Only Council staff oversee the digging of the grave, in contrast to burials in rural areas which are traditionally carried out by friends and neighbours.

Once that limit is reached in the city, no further burials are permitted. Undertakers are obliged to contact Council officials by noon on a weekday to book a funeral.

The recent case came to the attention of councillors because the undertaker who told the family to go ahead with the arrangements without finalising the details with the Council first. Death notices were published advising of the weekend burial but then had to be changed after the Council indicated it could not provide the staff to organise the grave to be dug.

Cllr Crowe : “I’m aware of at least three cases in the past six weeks where this has happened. Families surely go through enough stress without giving them more. They shouldn’t have to suffer without arguing or bickering over an extra couple of quid.”

A spokesman from the council said three workers were needed to oversee a burial. There was a shortage of staff in every department due to the public service moratorium.

For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.