News

Motion: Councillor D. Smith “That this Committee requests the Council to bring forward a policy for the graveyards in the Swords and Balbriggan wards which would make special allowance for local people with family members, in some cases several generations of family members, already interred in a particular graveyard, to allow them to have some certainty of being buried with their families in their local graveyard.”

Report: Fingal County Council is responsible for the maintenance and management of 34 burial grounds, 26 of which are in the Balbriggan/Swords Operational Area. Of these 26 burial grounds, 14 have plots available for purchase, and the remaining 12 older burial grounds do not have any new graves available, but re-openings and historic pre-purchased plots are facilitated.

The current Council policy states that plots in all burial grounds –  Will be available for purchase on death only (no pre-purchase permitted)  Only single plots will be available for purchase. The policy makes no provision for limiting who can apply to be buried in a particular burial ground. This policy has been in place since 2008, and was developed as part of a burial ground management programme. The sale of burial plots in advance has caused problems in the past with situations developing where records show there are no available spaces at a burial ground, even though a substantial portion of the burial ground plots would be empty. More importantly, advance sales of significant numbers of plots can result in the need to open up new sections of a burial ground very prematurely, resulting in increased maintenance and other costs.

The current policy of sale on death only ensures that plots are available when required, can be sold in strict rotation and in correct location and orientation and keeps maintenance costs within reason. It should also be recognised that by permitting sale on death only, the Council are ensuring a fair and equitable access to all citizens for council managed burial grounds.

Question: Councillor D. Smith “To ask the Chief Executive can the Pothole at the entrance/exit to Lioscian be repaired as it is causing damage to cars entering and exiting the Estate?”

Reply: The repair of the pothole at the area referred to in the Question will be included on the Area Engineers Maintenance Programme.

Question: Councillor D. Smith “To ask the Chief Executive can the grass sections at the following locations (details supplied) be included in the regular cutting rota for the estate as they are open space in the responsibility of the Council?”

Details: The grass sections between 8/9, 12/13 & 34/35 on Castleview Avenue, Castleview, Swords Reply: Fingal County Council does not maintain grassed verges outside of people’s homes. The citizen’s charter expects residents to adopt such areas and to keep them litter free and the grass cut.

Question: Councillor D. Smith “To ask the Chief Executive can railings or other measures be put in place to assist pedestrians crossing Donabate Bridge, (from the Swords side) as the where the path turns into Donabate Station is a sharp corner and is very slippy?”

Reply: The location referred to in the Question has been examined and due to the existing ground levels and the location of the Train Station entrance and an adjacent property vehicular entrance it is not feasible to install railings or adjust the existing footpath level.

Question: Councillor D. Smith “To ask the Chief Executive can further bollards be placed outside the house opposite the primary school in Donabate in order to stop casual and dangerous parking?”

Reply: Additional bollards were being installed at the location referred to in the Question, however, these works were halted at the request of the adjacent property owner. The situation is being re-examined at present to see if any alternative is possible.

Question: Councillor D. Smith “To ask the Chief Executive can the trees between Donabate Graveyard and the back of Willowbrook be cut in a symmetrical fashion, there is one tree on the end row which has remained uncut and is threatening and leaning into a residential garden?”

Reply: Crown reduction works have been completed along the eastern boundary and there are no proposals to carry out further pruning on these trees. These works were carried out in accordance with BS 3998 whereby no more than 30% of the crown’s photosynthetic capacity is removed at any one time. The tree at the end of the row was reduced by 4-5m with the others. The tree has been repeatedly inspected and is not leaning or threating the adjoining properties.