Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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1092. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if there has been any engagement between his Department and the Department of Health in respect of adopting a joint approach about the management and maintenance of burial grounds which are under the management or control of the Department of Health or HSE, with a view to adopting a joint approach as to how these burial grounds would be best managed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16955/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has responsibility for policy and legislation in relation to local authority burial grounds while the actual operation of burial grounds is the responsibility of the relevant local authority.

As such, my Department has no role in the management or maintenance of burial grounds, and therefore has not engaged with the Department of Health with regard to same.

Under the Local Government (Sanitary Services) Acts, 1878 to 2001, local authorities are deemed to be burial boards for their respective functional areas. Acting in their capacity as burial boards, local authorities are responsible for the management, regulation and control of burial grounds in their functional areas.

Regulations are currently in place regarding burials and burial grounds, namely Part III of the Public Health (Ireland) Act, 1878, as amended in Part VI of the Local Government (Sanitary Services) Act, 1948 and more recently, the Local Government Acts, 1994 and 2001, and also in the Rules and Regulations for the Regulation of Burial Grounds 1888 and amendments thereto. Local authorities also have powers to make bye-laws in relation to burial grounds.

I note that the Deputy has been previously advised by the Minister for Health (Dáil question number 837) on the 25th of March 2025, regarding contact between her Department and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and that the Health Service Executive have been asked to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.