Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

If a regulator was put in place, it would extend to the entire country. That has the potential to increase costs for people. At the moment, if I hear complaints about anything, they are about the cost of funerals rather than that of erecting headstones. Funerals take place at a time when people cannot shop around, which is the point that was made by Ms Goggin. We must be very careful not to do something that will achieve the reverse of what is intended.

I expect that issues would arise in this regard, for example, with regard to extending oversight by such a regulatory authority to church-owned property, which I do not believe would be possible.

On Glasnevin Cemetery, I echo some of the points made regarding the maintenance of the cemetery. The original concept behind Glasnevin Cemetery was very enlightened because at that time people feared being buried owing to the burial practices common at the time. Glasnevin Cemetery makes an important historical contribution, not only for the more celebrated people who are buried there but also for ordinary people. I should declare an interest in that some of the bones of my ancestors reside in Palmerstown and Glasnevin cemeteries. I expect a few other people in the room are in a similar position.

Clearly, research has been done on comparable historical cemeteries. Is public funding provided for the maintenance of similar cemeteries? In Ireland, we tend to do things in a way that avoids the use of public funding. Do the business operations at Glasnevin Cemetery contribute to the maintenance and upkeep of the cemetery in lieu of public funding for maintenance? All of us will agree that the cemetery is maintained to a high standard. I echo the view that its new buildings have been a great addition. What contribution does the business make to the expenditure required to maintain the cemetery? Are other income streams available for expenditure on maintenance? If the Glasnevin Trust is a charitable trust, it is not for individual shareholders to make a profit. There is, however, a question mark hanging over this issue.

The last thing we want to do is add to the cost faced by individuals. If, however, the cost is to be borne by taxpayers, we need to know what dynamic is at play. I expect competition would be the more fruitful option. Serious concerns have been raised by previous speakers. The introduction of competition appears to be a more viable option than the introduction of a regulatory authority as the latter could increase costs and the shortfall would have to be made up from public funds. Given that some of the national cultural institutions, which are to play a role in the decade of centenary celebrations, are struggling financially, it is difficult to see from where such public funding would come. Those are my observations.