Written answers
Tuesday, 23 January 2018
Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
Heritage Projects
Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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680. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will report on the future and funding of the crematorium chapel project in Glasnevin cemetery; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3104/18]
Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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As part of the Government's Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme my Department allocated €2 million to assist with realising the proposed 1916 Citizen's Chapel development in St. Paul's section of Glasnevin Cemetery. A Memorandum of Understanding was put in place between my Department and Glasnevin Trust to this end.
While Dublin City Council decided to grant planning permission for the project in November 2017, this was subsequently appealed to An Bord Pleanála.
Notwithstanding the outcome of the appeal process the Board of Glasnevin Trust has decided not to proceed with development of the chapel as proposed. My officials subsequently met the Chief Executive and the Chairman of Glasnevin Trust on 11 January to discuss the implications of this decision and the Trust has undertaken to furnish my Department with a full report on the project to date as provided for in the Memorandum of Understanding. It is expected that the report will be submitted in the coming month and my Department will consider the matter further at that stage.
Katie Downes
Posted on 9 Feb 2018 2:56 pm (Report this comment)
The Minister’s answer was very superficial as this question required a more detailed and comprehensive answer. This proposed Chapel for cremation services and car park for 74 cars is in St. Paul’s Section of Glasnevin Cemetery. The ground it is to be built on, contains burials of 45,000 people, 35,000 of them children, citizens of Dublin. The buildings and car park are on top of their graves. There are 3,900 burials under the floor of the chapel. Piles for the foundations are to be driven down inches from their bodies. It was previously refused planning permission as “The proposed development, by reason of the siting of a new building on a highly sensitive site consisting of a known and historic burial ground containing approximately 3,900 burials.” This proposal is insensitive, inappropriate and indecent. The Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht should withdraw the €2 million funding from this project. This burial ground should be held in perpetuity for those interred in this area and the funding used for landscaping St. Paul’s Section in an appropriate and fitting manner.