FERMANAGH and Omagh District Council has pledged to waive the cost of opening a grave for anyone under the age of 18 in a move that acknowledges the emotional burden faced by any parent who has lost a child.
A motion, brought forward to the Council by the UUP’s Victor Warrington, has also asked for the Council to write to the Department for Communities; Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, David Sterling; and Prime Minister Theresa May asking that grieving parents in Northern Ireland are extended the same benefits as mainland UK when it comes to the provision of burial costs for under 18s.
It comes after the government announced that bereaved parents will be spared funeral costs as it scrapped child burial fees in England.
Bringing the Motion before his Council colleagues, Mr. Warrington described the matter as a “very sensitive issue”.
“I can’t think of anything more devastating for parents than the death of a child,” he said.
“I can only imagine what they go through at such a time. But the cost of a funeral only adds pressure to their emotions.”
Mr. Warrington recognised that funeral undertakers in this area were “very sympathetic and understanding”.
“Some do not charge for the funeral service of an infant or child,” he acknowledged.
Putting the motion before councillors Mr. Warrington said that although “no amount of time will every truly heal” the loss of a child, his proposal meant at least, that parents were not “worrying about meeting funeral costs” in the aftermath of such immense loss.
“There will be a small financial implication for the Council but I hope you can recognise the importance to the families suffering under such circumstances,” he added.
The motion received cross party support from all councillors, who unanimously voted in favour of lessening the burden of bereaved families in Fermanagh. Bringing the motion to a close, Mr. Warrington thanked them all for their support towards a “non-contentious issue”.