Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am pleased to have an opportunity to speak to this Bill and thank Deputy Eamonn Maloney for introducing it. The purpose of the legislation is to address serious anomalies in The Dublin Cemeteries Committee Act 1970.

The death of a loved one is undoubtedly the most traumatic experience any of us will ever encounter. While the ways in which we say goodbye to members of our families have drastically changed in recent years, unfortunately the rules that apply to burials have not. It is glaringly obvious that in the areas of local government, business and charity law the management of cemeteries has been unregulated, uncompetitive and, in the case of Dublin, completely non-transparent.

People who lose a family member take great consolation from visiting the graveyard. The location and organisation of cemeteries, way in which they are kept, inscriptions and shape and size of grave markers are all important in remembering and respecting loved ones who have died.

The purpose of the Bill is to provide a framework for the management of cemeteries, which will bring transparency to the operation of cemeteries and prevent distortion of competition among commercial suppliers in the cemetery sector. Such distortions are evident in the sector today, particularly in Dublin.

Deputy Robert Dowds noted the existence of a committee of what I can only describe as salubrious gentlemen. Despite enjoying charitable status, the committee blatantly carries out commercial operations that provide its members with distinct benefits and advantages vis-à-visother people who are trying to run family businesses, some of which have been operating for generations. It is outrageous that it is not possible to ask questions of this group of gentlemen, as is the fact that they are not responsible to either a Minister or the Oireachtas. The committee appears to have carte blancheto continue to operate as it has done for many years. This must stop immediately.

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The Bill provides for the establishment of a cemeteries regulator. This will mean that it will be necessary for cemetery authorities to obtain a licence to operate from the regulator. The licence will only be issued if the cemetery authorities comply with specific management obligations, for example, that they will not engage in commercial activities other than interments in their own cemetery.

As Deputy Stanley alluded to, the Bill also obliges the board of management of cemetery authorities to have at least one third of the members of the board nominated by members of the local authority for the area in which the cemetery is situated. The Bill will lead to greater competition, an overall reduction in burial costs, which is important given the economic circumstances in which the country finds itself, and, most important, greater transparency and accountability.

The proposed reforms will bring the laws up to date to meet the modern Irish experience of death without over-regulating, which would stop funerals being able to adapt to cultural changes and diversity within this country. Like most things, the art is to strike that balance.

The recent increasing commercialisation of the funeral and burial sector has brought with it increasing concern about cost, with the average price of a funeral now at €6,000. In some areas, it is far higher. In Dublin, the price for opening a new grave, including the interment fee, monument application fee and foundation costs, is usually in excess of €4,000. Of course, these costs can be significantly higher depending on where or how one is laid to rest.

With burial plots in Dublin costing as much as €16,000 each, it is no wonder charities such as the Society of St. Vincent de Paul state they encounter a high number of people getting into financial difficulties arising from funeral expenses. The cost of a burial plot is usually the single biggest funeral expense, particularly in Dublin, with plots in Deans Grange Cemetery costing up to €16,000, and even those in Glasnevin costing €4,500. On top of that, there is the cost of interment, which is typically between €900 and €1,000. Many Dublin cemeteries discourage advance purchase or set the scene so that one physically cannot do so because it makes it more difficult to manage the graveyards. Glasnevin, for example, charges double for advance purchase grave and interment. This means the advance purchase of a grave could soar to more than €9,000, with burial costs of an extra €2,000.

At any other time in a person's life, the norm, if one is making large purchases, is to seek out a couple of quotes, perhaps gather recommendations from friends and family, and think about it. However, funeral purchases are made under emotional, stressful circumstances.

It is clear we need to introduce modern management structures to provide greater transparency in the operation of cemeteries. The Bill should deny charitable status to those cemetery authorities who are engaging directly in commercial activities, and it will also modernise the legal infrastructure under which cemeteries operate.

These combined reforms will provide greater choice and make the task of bereaved family and relations easier and clearer at a time when they are at their most vulnerable. I hope the Bill will help make one of the most difficult times in people's lives a little easier. I commend the Bill to the House.

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