COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, October 08, 2018

QUESTION NO.15

QUESTION: Councillor L. O'Toole

To ask the Chief Executive to report on cemeteries that are planned within the county over the next number of years, to provide a breakdown for each area. To also list the cemeteries that have reached full capacity.

REPLY

There are seventeen cemeteries within the Council’s administrative area. However, only eight of these cemeteries are under the control of the Council as follows - Bohernabreena, Esker, Newcastle, Saggart, Templeogue, Cruagh, Colmanstown and Brownstown, while records in relation to the other cemeteries are held by relevant Church Office / Trusts etc.

There are grave spaces available for purchase in only four burial grounds and to which certain restrictions apply as follows:

• Bohernabreena - grave spaces cannot be purchased in advance and can only be purchased at the time of death, unless terminally ill (documentary evidence required). There are currently 353 spaces available for purchase. There is an undeveloped section to provide for future needs.
• Saggart - advanced purchases are available to ‘local’ Senior Citizens only. (Documentary evidence required). There are currently 382 spaces available for purchase. There is no undeveloped section in this Cemetery to provide for future needs.
•  Newcastle - advanced purchases are available, to Senior Citizens only. (Documentary evidence required). This burial ground also has a dedicated area for the Islamic Community. There are currently 604 spaces available for purchase in the Christian Section and 20 in the Islamic Section (including 10 children’s plots). There is an undeveloped area in this Cemetery to provide for future needs.
• Esker - grave spaces cannot be purchased in advance and can only be purchased at the time of death. Esker cemetery is reaching full capacity and while there may be additional spaces peppered in Section C1 and C2 this requires further investigation and a cost benefit analysis.

The Council is not exclusive in the provision of Burial Ground Services within South Dublin County, with a number of private facilities having been developed / in development in recent years.

Given the capacity already identified at the four operational publicly owned burial grounds, and the extent of existing and proposed development by the private sector, it is not presently envisaged that further lands will be acquired by the Council.  However we will continue to keep this under review.