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09/06/2014
Cemetery Regulator Needed - FG
The government has been urged to establish a cemeteries regulator, Fine Gael has said, adding that it is important that "the bereaved are not paying over the odds to bury their deceased loved ones."
Making the call, the party's TD for Meath East, Regina Doherty, said: "Planning a funeral for a loved one can be one of the most challenging, emotionally draining and stressful occasions any of us will face.
"Bereaved individuals are in a vulnerable state, and I believe the law needs to be strengthened to protect their interests and make sure they are not ripped off due to a lack of competition in the management of cemeteries."
It is claimed that there is currently "huge variations" in the cost of a burial plots in different parts of the country.
"The increasing commercialisation of the funeral and burial industry has served the industry, rather than the bereaved. In some parts of Dublin, for example, the cost of opening a new grave costs in the region of €4,000, but it can be up to four times higher in other parts of the city. Why the discrepancy?" Deputy Doherty said.
Adding: "The establishment of a cemeteries regulator will make the process fairer and more transparent. Cemeteries will be awarded licences from the regulator with strict management obligations attached – for example, they must not engage in commercial activities other than interments at their own cemetery.
"The need for a regulator becomes all the more apparent if you consider the situation regarding the Glasnevin Trust, which controls a number of large cemeteries in Dublin. The group has charitable status but engages in commercial activities which ensure it has a monopoly over cemeteries in many parts of the city, and complete control over how much the bereaved are charged.
"Those seeking to bury their loved ones are suffering as a result of the lack of competition in the market. Under the proposed new legislation, cemetery authorities which engage in commercial activities will not be allowed to claim charitable status and the legal structure under which cemeteries operate will be modernised.
"It is my hope that this proposed legislation will make one of the most difficult times in our lives a little easier."
(MH/JP)
Making the call, the party's TD for Meath East, Regina Doherty, said: "Planning a funeral for a loved one can be one of the most challenging, emotionally draining and stressful occasions any of us will face.
"Bereaved individuals are in a vulnerable state, and I believe the law needs to be strengthened to protect their interests and make sure they are not ripped off due to a lack of competition in the management of cemeteries."
It is claimed that there is currently "huge variations" in the cost of a burial plots in different parts of the country.
"The increasing commercialisation of the funeral and burial industry has served the industry, rather than the bereaved. In some parts of Dublin, for example, the cost of opening a new grave costs in the region of €4,000, but it can be up to four times higher in other parts of the city. Why the discrepancy?" Deputy Doherty said.
Adding: "The establishment of a cemeteries regulator will make the process fairer and more transparent. Cemeteries will be awarded licences from the regulator with strict management obligations attached – for example, they must not engage in commercial activities other than interments at their own cemetery.
"The need for a regulator becomes all the more apparent if you consider the situation regarding the Glasnevin Trust, which controls a number of large cemeteries in Dublin. The group has charitable status but engages in commercial activities which ensure it has a monopoly over cemeteries in many parts of the city, and complete control over how much the bereaved are charged.
"Those seeking to bury their loved ones are suffering as a result of the lack of competition in the market. Under the proposed new legislation, cemetery authorities which engage in commercial activities will not be allowed to claim charitable status and the legal structure under which cemeteries operate will be modernised.
"It is my hope that this proposed legislation will make one of the most difficult times in our lives a little easier."
(MH/JP)
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Ireland WeatherToday:Scattered showers of rain, sleet and, over hills, snow in the morning with sunny spells, the best of these in the south. The showers dying out this afternoon with increasing amounts of sunshine. Occasionally fresh westerly or northwesterly winds easing. Maximum temperature 6 °C.Tonight:Clear start with a fairly widespread frost developing. Increasing cloud brings occasionally heavy rain overnight, preceded, especially over western hills, briefly by snow. Occasional southeasterly gales, severe near coasts, developing. Minimum temperature -2 °C.
