Lack of staff at Sligo Cemetery resulting in long grass in parts of the graveyard
MEMBERS of the Borough District of Sligo backed a motion this week that calls on Sligo County Council to employ adequate numbers of staff to work in Sligo Cemetery.
The Mayor of Sligo Cllr Declan Bree said this week he made this call because he fears there may be an attempt to privatise the upkeep of the cemetery.
He said that because Sligo Municipal Cemetery has been successfully managed and staffed by employees of the Local Authority for over century and recognising the need to maintain the highest standards into the future, the Council should confirm its policy to employ adequate Council staff in the cemetery to ensure the cemetery can continue to operate its normal schedule. He said concerns had been expressed by a number of people, that at some stage there could be an attempt to privatise the operation of the municipal cemetery and to replace Council staff with private contractors.
“As all of us understand over the past number of decades the number of outdoor council workers have been consistently reduced and replaced by private contractors. This is particularly obvious in the Council’s roads section, in street cleaning, in the housing maintenance section and so on.”
He said there might be an argument for privatisation if services were improved but, in his view, the “private - for profit sector has been incapable of delivering the same level of service as directly employed Council staff”.
He received widespread support for his motion, fellow councillors agreeing with his view that Sligo Municipal Cemetery has been successfully managed and staffed by employees of the Council for the past 130 years or so.
Supporting, Cllr tom Mac Sharry said the Council needed to have “more staff working in the cemetery, not less”.
Dorothy Clarke, Director of Services, reading a written reply, stated: “Sligo County Council intends to ensure that Sligo Cemetery operates to the highest standards into the future and will be staffed as deemed appropriate by the Council Executive.”
Cllr Bree commented: “That response is open to interpretation, but I hope the Executive will take on board the views of the Borough District meeting.”
A second motion tabled by Cllr Tom Mac Sharry, called on Sligo Municipal District to implement a grass cutting programme for Sligo Cemetery.
He said that while the new part of the cemetery is maintained very well, he had been “somewhat embarrassed” by the state of the old part of the cemetery when he, as Mayor, officiated at the official unveiling of a headstone marking the grave of PA McHugh.
“It is the main cemetery, and I would like to see someone take an initiative and put some shape on it. We have to show respect as public representatives for the families of those interred there and for the families whose loved ones are buried there,” he said.
Cllrs Gino O’Boyle and Arthur Gibbons supported the motion.
Cllr Bree said he too supported the motion, saying it was an issue that was consistently being brought to the attention of public representatives.
“I know the Parks Department does its best, but it always strikes me that there is never adequate funding. It strikes me that all we can do is to appeal to the Executive to look to the provision of additional staff should additional funding become available,” he said.
The Council response stated: “As part of the ongoing maintenance of Sligo Cemetery, a grass cutting programme is in place in the public areas. Grass is cut every ten to 14 days during the growing season. In addition, strimming takes place in the old cemetery space three to four times per annum.”
Dorothy Clarke, Director of Services, said she would take the concerns raised back to the Parks Department, adding it was not a problem that was unique to Sligo Cemetery.
Cllr Mac Sharry said: “There is a problem here and it is not being addressed. I believe a solution can be found if we look at this properly.”