Council workers in Tipperary are no longer willing to dig graves says district engineer

Council workers have said they do not want to dig graves anymore.

That is according to Thurles district engineer Thomas Duffy at this week’s sitting of Thurles-Templemore Municipal District Council.

Mr Duffy was responding to a query from councillor Jim Ryan. Cllr Ryan said that he had been contacted by someone who was informed that they needed to have a private contractor dig a grave in St Patrick’s graveyard.

They were told that although the council had been responsible for opening and covering graves, the policy had recently changed.

Cllr Ryan said he had not been aware of a change of policy. Mr Duffy told the council that the change had been made ‘in- house’ on request of the workers and in consultation with the unions.

“We listened to the workers first and foremost,” said Mr Duffy. He said that the council has an ‘ageing workforce’ and there was nobody to replace those responsible for graves.

“As it is, the younger generation did not want to dig graves,” said Mr Duffy. Cllr Ryan said he was concerned about privatising the provision of graves because there may not be enough qualified people to do the job.

“My worry is around the availability of private contractors, the qualifications and the cost,” said Cllr Ryan.

Mr Duffy said there was ‘no shortage’ of contractors, and they were very well qualified.

Cllr Ryan accepted the reply but asked that elected members be informed in future so that they can respond adequately to their constituents’ concerns.