Members of the Portlaoise Cemetery Committee and the Portlaoise County Councillors were unhappy with a plan presented to them by Council officials aimed at enhancing security in the cemetery.
A meeting took place in Laois County Council this morning with members of the Council, County Councillors, Cemetery Committee and Gardai in attendance.
The meeting was chaired by Fianna Fail Councillor Catherine Fitzgerald and attended by Fine Gael duo Barry Walsh and Willie Aird, Sinn Fein’s Caroline Dwane-Stanley and Labour’s Marie Tuohy.
Crime Prevention Officer Graham Kavanagh and Superintendent Eamon Curley represented An Garda Siochana.
While Portlaoise Cemetery Committee were represented by chairman Tommy Timmons, John O’Neill and Maria McCormack.
Ken Morley, Senior Executive Engineer, and Donal Brennan, Director of Services, were there on behalf of the Council.
The meeting was organised in response to the attack on Portlaoise Cemetery in early February.
In a seemingly random attack, at least seven headstones were badly damaged at St Peter and Paul’s Cemetery.
It is estimated that this will cost thousands of Euro to repair while several other places of rest were also vandalised.
The issue of security at the cemetery had been raised since and today, those present were here to listen to a proposal from the Council on what could be done.
Mr Brennan described Portlaoise Cemetery as a 12 acre site with a boundary of ‘around 1km’.
Engineer Morley proposed that, subject to funding, the Council would secure the top right hand corner of the site, at the back of the Foxborough estate.
He said: “There is a stretch of about 30 metres where the existing fence has been broken down and people can access the cemetery.
“Subject to funding, we will erect a 2.4 metre high fence there and carry out necessary works.”
Mr Morley then resumed his seat and Cllr Fitzgerald asked him ‘is that it?’ and said she was ‘disappointed that this is all that is being proposed’.
Cllr Fitzgerald then threw the floor open to the other people present for comment and Cllr Caroline Dwane-Stanley was up first.
She said: “We need more than a fence and this does not cut it. This is going on for years and a fence won’t cut it.
“Pots and memorabilia have been stolen up there, cars have been driven over graves.
“There is drinking and anti-social behaviour going on and a few years ago, we had a very serious incident where elderly people were robbed.
“In his report, Crime Prevention Officer Kavanagh said that there was no point putting up CCTV without proper lighting.
“We need the fence but we also need lights, footpath repairs and the gates we were promised.
“I am not happy at all and this is going on for years.”
Tommy Timmons spoke next and he passionately pleaded with Council officials to do more.
He said: “I can’t believe the Council are proposing this.
“There are two trees in the middle where all of this drinking and anti social behaviour is going on.
“I have asked for these to be cut down, I even have people who will do it for us, but the Council say no.
“What has the Council got against Portlaoise Cemetery? We are proud of the cemetery and look after it as best we can.
“But our concerns are not being listened to. The paths are cracked and are not being fixed.
“We are not looking for millions here. Please, just for once, will you listen to us and respect us.”
At this point in proceedings, Director of Services Brennan indicated to chairperson Catherine Fitzgerald that he was unaware that this would be a ‘public meeting’.
He also expressed his dissatisfaction at some of the comments that had been made.
He said: “Some of the language that has been used, we can’t stand over.
“Some of the language is excessive and I would ask people to be mindful of that.”
In response, Mr Timmons apologised if he had caused any offence but said he was simply ‘speaking from the heart and anything I said is the truth’.
Cllr Dwane-Stanley said that Mr Timmons nor anyone else needed to apologise for comments that were made and she personally would be ‘apologising to nobody’.
Maria McCormack, member of the Portlaoise Cemetery Committee, said: “I welcome the fence at the back of the Foxborough estate.
“But I would like to know why the erection of CCTV has been ruled out?”
John O’Neill said: “We are a voluntary committee who give hours and hours to the cemetery because we care deeply about it.
“But there are many problems. Anti social behaviour and drug use is taking place.
“What is happening with lighting and security? We feel that the Council is not supporting us.
“We are getting hassle off people in the town wherever we go. They want to know what is being done and they are right to ask.”
Cllr Marie Tuohy said: “I also want to say that I am deeply disappointed by what has been proposed today.
“It is a piecemeal solution and it is pointless people like Garda Kavanagh doing detailed reports, cemetery committee being consulted and then nothing being acted upon.”
Cllr Barry Walsh also expressed his surprise with what the Council had proposed to remedy the situation.
Cllr Willie Aird wanted a message to also go out from the meeting that Portlaoise Cemetery was and is a safe place for people to go.
Superintendent Eamon Curley reiterated Cllr Aird’s point.
He said: “What happened in February was a very emotive crime but it was an isolated incident.
“Hundreds of people visit the cemetery and the vast majority never encounter a problem.
“We have made progress in our investigation into what happened and have made an arrest.
“We are still investigating the motive behind the crime and I can’t say anymore at this point.
Crime Prevention Officer Graham Kavanagh then spoke about the advantage of lighting up places like a cemetery.
He said: “It is statistically proven that if you have lights, you are less likely to have crime.
“There are people struggling with grief who go to the cemetery at 3am and lighting for them would help them feel more safe and secure.
“Access, landscaping, lighting and CCTV are the four things that we looked at that could help.
“Access with the fence that the Council are proposing and landscaping like the two trees that Mr Timmons spoke about.
“We know we can’t get all four things at once but if we do it bit by bit, the situation can improve.”
In a bid to move things forward, Cllr Willie Aird proposed that Director of Finance Gerry Murphy and Chief Executive John Mulholland be approached in order to secure finance.
Agreeing, Cllr Dwane-Stanley said: “We want the Council officials to go away now and come up with a plan.
“This could be done over three or four years but come back with a plan and then let us provide for that plan in our budget.
“We can get issues tackled year by year with the plan but it needs much more than just a fence.”
Cllr Aird said: “We budgeted before for the provision of new gates. That was signed off on by us as Councillors and it hasn’t happened.
“We need to find out where this money went and why the job hasn’t been done.”
Director of Services Donal Brennan committed to doing an overall review of all cemeteries in Laois and that would then allow the Council to apply for funding for a range of projects.
