Call for later funeral removals to ease gridlock

Rush-hour removals causing ‘distress’, says councillor

LABOUR Councillor Mary Freehill has renewed calls for later funeral removals in order to reduce city traffic congestion.

Cllr Freehill has proposed that last removals to Dublin churches revert to the traditional time of 7.30pm as part of a plan to reduce rush-hour traffic jams.

"I have received many complaints from people who leave work early to travel across the city for funerals between 5 and 6pm, only to arrive too late because of traffic congestion," she said.

"This causes a lot of distress to those who wish to sympathise with bereaved relatives and friends."

Cllr Freehill first raised the issue in May 1998 at a Corporation meeting, but feels little progress has been made since.

At last month’s council meeting, she asked the City Manager to clarify whether or not the funeral undertakers and the church authorities had met to discuss the problem.

However, city funeral directors dismiss the concern: "Frankly I don't know what the fuss is about," said Kevin Massey of Patrick Massey Funeral Directors in the Coombe.

According to trade union legislation, the latest time removals may arrive at a church is 6.30pm. "This suits everybody,"says Kevin Massey. "Priests are particularly satisfied with the existing times and everybody else seems to be too.

"Most people can take half an hour off work every now and then if they need to, there’s no problem with the times as they are."

He is adamant there is no need whatsoever to push times back further: "The earliest I ever get home is 7.30pm. If removals were held later in the evening, I would find it hard to keep the staff to provide a quality service," he said.

David Fanagan of Fanagan’s Funeral Directors on Aungier St agreed: "I don't mean to be facetious but people have to go home to their beds. It is not a simple problem, there are many different factors involved. Later funeral removals are just not workable," he said.

Cllr Freehill is aware of the union regulations for times worked by removal staff but has been pushing for a meeting of the concerned parties to discuss a compromise.

"They have agreement with funeral undertakers that they don't work after certain times," she said. Funeral directors say they are more than willing to meet: "We are not uncooperative," David Fanagan said. "Our doors are open seven days a week, unlike Dublin Corporation."

Church representatives of the 16 Dublin deaneries are due to discuss the issue at a conference after Easter. But a meeting of the funeral directors and church representatives has yet to be announced.