COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF RATHFARNHAM AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

MOTION NO. 9

MOTION: Councillor C. Keane

Cathaoirleach's Business

"That this Committee discusses with the aid of an up to date report, the poor condition/updeep of our cemetries with a view to drawing up a rota for maintenance/grass cutting for each cemetry. Respect for the dead is very important in Ireland - the current condition does not portray this respect."

REPORT:

All graveyards were prepared in advance of the annual masses over the summer months this year, with grass being cut in each graveyard on one occasion.  Due to the size of Bohernabreena graveyard the Environmental Services Dept has one member of staff deployed to that graveyard on a full time basis.  This means that Bohernabreena has maintenance work carried out on an ongoing basis throughout the year.  Due to the current embargo on recruitment in the public sector it has not been possible to recruit temporary seasonal staff to assist with maintenance of the graveyards between April and September, as happened on an annual basis prior to the introduction of the embargo.  The situation is compounded by the fact that burial grounds staff are redeployed regularly to assist with refuse collections.  In excess of 350 working days have been lost from burial grounds to refuse collections between January and August of the current year.  With overall numbers of general staff across all sections of the Council reducing on a continuous basis at the present time it has not been possible to move staff from other sections into burial grounds to help with the seasonal workload from April to September.  Regrettably the Council will not be in a position to improve the level of graveyard maintenance which is currently being achieved while the restrictions on staff availability which have been outlined remain in place.