FINGAL County Council has been condemned for the
“shameful
? method it uses to gather outstanding payments from undertakers for
the opening of grave sites.
Dublin North TD Brendan Ryan (Lab) said it has come to
his attention in recent months that the council is contacting the
bereaved relatives of deceased people, stating that the interment fee relating
to the deceased is outstanding.
“This fee is usually in the region of
?¬250 and is more
commonly known as the fee for
‘opening the grave’ and is handled by the
undertaker as part of the overall funeral costs,
? Deputy Ryan told Northside
People.
“The scandal is that the council is aware that the fee
has been paid by the bereaved to the undertakers and that it is in fact the
individual undertakers who have not passed on the fee to the council.
“This is a cynical method being used by the council
who are struggling to collect their fees from the undertakers.
“Instead of pursuing the individual undertakers the
council sees fit to contact bereaved relatives in a most insensitive manner.
“Furthermore, the council are stating in their letters
that
‘no further burials can take place in this plot until full payment is
made’.
Deputy Ryan said that to
“threaten
? already bereaved
people with a closure of a family plot in this regard is an
“absolute scandal
?.
“Some of the fees being sought relate to burials which
took place up to a decade ago,
? he stated.
“This practice first came to my attention in late
August and I brought it to the council on September 2 at the Parliamentary
members’ day in Fingal County Council in a bid to end the shameful practice.
“Unfortunately, the practice has not ended and people
are still coming to me with letters from the council and in an understandably
distressed state.
?
Deputy Ryan is urging anybody who has received such a
letter in the past few weeks not to be concerned.
“If you have settled your full bill with your
undertaker then you have nothing to worry about and you can ignore the letter
from Fingal County Council,
? he added.
“I’m calling on Fingal County Council to immediately
end this shameful practice and to issue an unreserved apology to all of those
who have received such letters.
?
A spokeswoman for Fingal County Council said it facilitates more than 1,200 burials in its
cemeteries each year.
“Normally the burial arrangements are made with the
undertaker who acts on behalf of the family of the deceased person,
? she told
Northside People.
“The council invoices the undertaker for the fees
involved. Most undertakers cooperate fully with the council and discharge the
fees without undue delay.
“In a small number of cases, the council has had to
pursue undertakers for the non-payment of fees.
“In some cases, where the fees have not been paid for
several years, this has resulted in legal action.
“In these cases, the council is concerned that the
families of the deceased may not be aware that their undertaker has not paid
the fees due on their behalf.
?
The spokeswoman said the council was anxious that no
difficulties arise in the future for these families.
“For this reason, the council decided to alert these
families about the current situation,
? she stated.
“It should be noted that the council is not a party to
the arrangements made between any individual family and their undertaker.
?
The spokeswoman said that arising from the council’s
action in contacting the families involved, significant progress has been made
in relation to the payment of outstanding fees.
“The council wishes to thank those undertakers who
cooperate fully with the council and thereby lessen the burden on families at a
distressing time,
? she added.