5. Cemetery Bye-Laws No.s 6-11 & 13: Regulations for Burial (See Section C of Summary Document))
Topics:
(b) I disagree with the content of the current relevant bye-laws
Burial restrictions very harsh
Burial restrictions very harsh
Some years ago the back wall was damaged when nearby trees came down. Sadly nothing has been done,the pathway is blocked with blocks from the wall and overgrown weeds. In my opinion this work should be carried out by staff on site. Hopfuly this could be looked at under maintenance bye-laws.
Mount Saint Lawrence Cemetery is not properly maintained. The back of the cemetary is full of dead trees that need felling and proper maintenance of old graves. It is in need of a complete clean up and proper maintenance. It also needs more taps in the Cemetary so that clean water is available. The whole Cemetery needs to be cleaned and maintained.
Mount Saint Oliver Cemetery is also in desperate need of proper maintenance. There is no tap in the Cemetery! There should be a few taps in the Cemetery for people to maintain their loved ones graves.
The pathways are a disgrace and get waterlogged in bad weather. The path to the left of the entrance gates the whole way down to the end of Mount Saint Oliver is in need of repairs and proper drainage. The corner graves are trodden over with the machinery the grave diggers use when driving around. They should not be driving over corner graves. The heavy machinery is destroying the ground/ grass / graves and they need to fix it when they drive over them. There is no need for that whatsoever. They should keep on the path and not drive over peoples graves!I t is not acceptable. Please stop this happening. Have some respect.
The fact also that certain people are still being allowed to put up massive high headstones is a disgrace. Why is the Council not able to put a stop to this? It is one law for the law abiding citizens and another law for them. Why? How many more will you allow to get away with this? Decent people do not want their loved ones beside those massive obstructive headstones / graves. I hope these concerns will be addressed?
The cleaning and maintenance of Mount Saint Lawrence and the dead trees that need removal now before it gets any worse. They make the cemetary look unsightly and more overshadowed and so dark and unwelcoming. You should be able to visit a cemetery for peace and not have to endure the smell of dead trees and moss and dirt when I go to visit my loved ones old graves. Why are the cemeteries not properly maintained? There is broken glass and dirt all over the place!
Lastly they are putting graves on top of each other. There is no space between graves especially in Mount St Lawrence - EXTENTION. How could you let that happen? People pay a lot of money for graves and this is not acceptable. We cant visit our loved ones in peace as there is no privacy because the graves are on top of each other. This has to stop. People are entitled to space and privacy to visit their loved ones after paying a fortune for the graves.
This does not identify who the purchaser of the grave is. What defines the purchaser? What constitutes ownership of the grave? How does one prove ownership of the grave? Is proof of ownership required to obtain permission to erect a headstone?
A clear set of conditions and expectations must be defined.
An application must include proof of ownership of a grave?
Any other erection on any other application in any other area of the council require this, should a grave not be the same?
What happens if someone erects a headstone on a plot with out permsion of the owner?
Bye-Law 10, No. 4 is unclear and must be amended. The bye-law fails to state who is responsible for the maintenance of a grave where subsidence occurs following burial.
For the avoidance of doubt, the burial authority in this context is Limerick City and County Council, acting in its statutory role as the owner and manager of council-controlled cemeteries.
Once a grave has been dug and a burial has taken place, responsibility for addressing subsidence must not be left open to interpretation. In practice, uncertainty regularly arises as to whether responsibility lies with the burial authority or with the holder of burial rights. This ambiguity is unacceptable and places an unnecessary burden on bereaved persons at a sensitive time.
The bye-laws must clearly and explicitly state:
This matter is left as a grey area in the bye-laws and must be addressed to avoid inconsistency in practice, uncertainty for holders of burial rights, and disputes regarding responsibility for grave maintenance following burial.
It must also be clearly stated how a grave is to be left immediately after burial, including the exact depth of earth above ground level, with specific measurements introduced (for example, whether the grave is to be left with 300 mm (1 ft) or 600 mm (2 ft) of soil).
Clear, enforceable standards are essential to ensure fairness, transparency, and consistent application across all council-managed cemeteries.