A Laois County Councillor’s request for a Columbarium Wall to be constructed in every graveyard in her district has fallen on deaf ears.
Independent Councillor Aisling Moran made the request at a recent meeting of the Graiguecullen-Portarlington Municipal District.
Councillor Aisling Moran called on Laois County Council “to put in Columbarium walls in all graveyards in our Municipal district and make it available to purchase niches in the columbarium wall in unconsecrated ground for those that are not from a catholic background.”
To which she received a response from Georgina Ireland of the community: “In order to facilitate the management of the capacity in burial grounds which are operated by Laois County Council, it has been a long standing position that plots and niches are allocated following a bereavement.
“This overall policy approach allows for better planning for future needs. Proposals for future installation of columbariums in local authority managed cemeteries in Laois will be considered in line with demand for same and subject to budgetary constraints with the Council’s Capital Programme.”
Cllr Moran was unhappy with this response and made the case for why the walls should be there.
She said: “I know so many people that would love to get a niche in a Columbarium Wall but the probably is that you can’t buy them in advance.
“So how can the Council say that there isn’t demand for them when we don’t actually know what the demand is?
“What about people who don’t want to be buried on consecrated land? I know many people who don’t want to be buried in a religious graveyard.”
A discussion among the other Councillors took place and it was agreed that Councillor Moran should bring her motion to a meeting of the full Council for consideration and further discussion.
In a second motion, Councillor Moran requested that Laois County Council send out hedge cutting notices to land owners that have hedge that health and safety issue and also to advertise a reminder that hedge cutting season is nearly over.
She also suggested that in instances where landowners don’t cut their hedges and the Council have to do it, that the landowner should be billed for it.
Supporting Cllr Moran, Independent Councillor Ben Brennan explained the plight of a bus driver and an overgrown hedge.
He said: “I got a call recently from an angry bus driver. A hedge on his route wasn’t cut back and it took the wing mirror off his bus.
“He can’t claim off insurance for this and says the problem with this particular hedge is going on for years.
“He is blaming Laois County Council for not enforcing the landowner to cut the hedge.”
The response Moran received from Senior Engineer Paul McLoughlin was “The legal position with regard to the management and maintenance of roadside trees is made provision for under Section 70 of the Roads Act 1993 which clearly states that ‘The owner or occupier of land shall take all reasonable steps to ensure that a tree, shrub, hedge or other vegetation on the land is not a hazard or potential hazard to persons using a public road and that it does not obstruct or interfere with the safe use of a public road or the maintenance of a public road’.
“Laois County Council have over the last number of years published notices in the local press and on the Council website Laois.ie advising landowners of their obligation to manage and maintain trees on their lands adjacent to the public road.
“Laois County Council will repeat these public notices along with a social media campaign to reinforce the legal obligations.”
Finally, Councillor Moran asked that: “Laois County Council carry out strengthening works on the L3975-0 from Barrowhouse towards Ballylinan at Shangaghmore as a matter of urgency, also to install signage road markings and passing bays to make the road safe.”
In response, engineer Philip McVeigh said: “This road is included in the draft roads programme for 2025 for strengthening improvement works.
“Ancillary works on this road can also be carried out at the time the road is being strengthened.”
