A local authority is considering asking the public to acquire burial plots "well in advance" to help offset the cost of new cemetery sites.
Cork County Council, like most public bodies, is cash-starved.
It requires funding to purchase and to develop potential graveyard sites.
A number of the coastal region’s cemeteries are at or close to capacity.
County councillors have urged officials to purchase land in an effort to stave off future problems.
Cllr Jerry O’Sullivan (FG) said that, fortunately, a new burial ground with capacity for 370 plots had been identified in Eyeries.
He told officials at a meeting in Clonakilty the council should pre-sell a number of the plots so it could recoup the cost of developing the graveyard.
He said this could be replicated when developing graveyards elsewhere in the region.
More than a year ago, the local authority commissioned a report on the expected lifespan of graveyards in the region.
Mary Ryan, the council’s director of services for the western division, said following a request from Cllr Dermot Sheehan (FG) she would update this report and present it to councillors at a meeting scheduled for next month.
Cllr Danny Crowley (FF) said he thoroughly supported the concept of selling off plots in advance to recoup money spent on developing new graveyards.
"It’s cost-neutral and we’re going to have to look at this in the future, especially when it comes to replacing graveyards where spaces are running out.
"In Glengarriff there are also very limited spaces available and there’s a lot of goodwill out there in general in West Cork with landowners who would be willing to provide land for graves," he added.
Cllr Crowley said he was totally against developing large regional type graves in the future, stating that people wanted to be buried where they lived and not miles away.
Meanwhile, Cllr Sheehan (FG) said: "A lot of communities have graveyards coming close to capacity. It’s an issue that is constantly raising its head. There’s an onus on us to provide additional grave spaces,"
He also warned council officials that he would, like Cllr Crowley, be opposed to any attempts by the local authority to build super graveyards.
"That would bring a whole new meaning to centralisation," Cllr Sheehan said.
Cllr John O’Sullivan, chairman of the western division, warned that the graveyard in his native Courtmacsherry was also reaching capacity.
"And the population there has nearly doubled in the last 10 years so it’s something we need to look at soon."
Council officials said they couldn’t sell off all the cemetery plots in advance in Eyeries but would certainly look at selling off a percentage of them.
It requires funding to purchase and to develop potential graveyard sites.
A number of the coastal region’s cemeteries are at or close to capacity.
County councillors have urged officials to purchase land in an effort to stave off future problems.
Cllr Jerry O’Sullivan (FG) said that, fortunately, a new burial ground with capacity for 370 plots had been identified in Eyeries.
He told officials at a meeting in Clonakilty the council should pre-sell a number of the plots so it could recoup the cost of developing the graveyard.
He said this could be replicated when developing graveyards elsewhere in the region.
More than a year ago, the local authority commissioned a report on the expected lifespan of graveyards in the region.
Mary Ryan, the council’s director of services for the western division, said following a request from Cllr Dermot Sheehan (FG) she would update this report and present it to councillors at a meeting scheduled for next month.
Cllr Danny Crowley (FF) said he thoroughly supported the concept of selling off plots in advance to recoup money spent on developing new graveyards.
"It’s cost-neutral and we’re going to have to look at this in the future, especially when it comes to replacing graveyards where spaces are running out.
"In Glengarriff there are also very limited spaces available and there’s a lot of goodwill out there in general in West Cork with landowners who would be willing to provide land for graves," he added.
Cllr Crowley said he was totally against developing large regional type graves in the future, stating that people wanted to be buried where they lived and not miles away.
Meanwhile, Cllr Sheehan (FG) said: "A lot of communities have graveyards coming close to capacity. It’s an issue that is constantly raising its head. There’s an onus on us to provide additional grave spaces,"
He also warned council officials that he would, like Cllr Crowley, be opposed to any attempts by the local authority to build super graveyards.
"That would bring a whole new meaning to centralisation," Cllr Sheehan said.
Cllr John O’Sullivan, chairman of the western division, warned that the graveyard in his native Courtmacsherry was also reaching capacity.
"And the population there has nearly doubled in the last 10 years so it’s something we need to look at soon."
Council officials said they couldn’t sell off all the cemetery plots in advance in Eyeries but would certainly look at selling off a percentage of them.