Zoning of land to be considered for development of crematorium in Laois

Laois County Council has been urged to consider zoning land to facilitate the development of a crematorium in Laois.

The need for more burial spaces and especially columbarium walls has been an ongoing issue raised by local councillors in Laois for quite some time now.

With the population of the county continuing to grow, there has been calls for the extension of some cemeteries in Laois, such as in Killeshin, as burial spaces have dwindled. 

Columbarium walls are another issue within the county. These structures are permanent resting places for cremated remains. Currently, St Peter and Paul’s Cemetery in Portlaoise is the only cemetery in the entire county that provides such space for cremated remains.

Plans were approved by Laois County Council to extend the graveyard at Killasmeestia in order to accommodate 121 new plots as well as three columbarium walls after planning permission was sought in October last year. However, funding remains an issue for the private cemetery. 

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Now, Councillor Paddy Buggy has asked Laois County Council to give consideration to the zoning of suitable land for inclusion in the County Development Plan to facilitate the development of a crematorium in order to serve the growing need for more burial options in Laois.

Speaking at the December meeting of Laois County Council, Cllr Buggy explained that issues such as columbarium walls and extending cemeteries is consistently brought up by councillors. He argued that with such an emphasis on installing columbarium walls, a crematorium is also needed to service the needs of those who wish to be cremated. 

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Cllr Buggy told the council that with just nine crematoriums in Ireland and the closest to Laois being Newlands Cross in Dublin, the development of a crematorium in the county could present an opportunity for the entire region. 

"We're the centre of the country, we could support the whole midlands region with a crematorium here in this county," the Fine Gael councillor said.

The motion was supported by Cllr John King and James Kelly, both of whom agreed that the demand for a crematorium in the county is evident.

Laois County Council said that it would give consideration to the zoning of lands for the development of a crematorium in the next review of the Laois County Development Plan.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme