Galway cemetery’s Muslim burial plots driven by health and safety concerns amid bid to halt project
Galway County Council has said its decision to develop designated Muslim burial plots at a Tuam cemetery is being driven by health and safety requirements rather than religious considerations.
The development of an additional 46-plot burial area at Tuam Cemetery was approved by local councillors in September. The designated section is intended to accommodate uncoffined Muslim burials.
While councillors opposed to the project have argued that burial provision should not be separated on religious grounds, council officials explained the designated plots are necessary to meet the health requirements associated with uncoffined burials.
Speaking to the Irish Independent, Jasim Uddin Dewan of the Tuam Islamic Cultural Centre outlined the significance of burial practices within the Islamic faith.
Muslims are traditionally buried without a coffin, with the body placed on its right side facing the direction of the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
Mr Dewan added he feels the debate over the burial site is “unfair” and is bringing “undue judgement” towards the community.
During a Tuam Municipal District meeting this week, Cllr Sean Cunniffe felt councillors had been misguided during the presentation of the development ahead of councillors vote. The Tuam site would be the first dedicated Muslim burial area in Co Galway despite councillors being told that another similar site already exists in Galway city.
Galway County Council Director of Services Michael Owens said that the initial request for an uncoffined burial area was not specifically intended for Tuam.
However, environmental assessments identified Tuam Cemetery as a suitable location to accommodate uncoffined burials, which subsequently received HSE approval.
Uncoffined burials must be separated from conventional coffin burial plots for health and safety reasons.
During the meeting, Cllr Donagh Killilea attempted to table a motion to halt the project all together by witholding funding.
He argued that “utilising the council’s finite capital reserves to build faith-segregated infrastructure sets an unsustainable financial precedent and runs contrary to long-standing local public policy”.
“Our public graveyards should operate on a standard, non-denominational framework where plots are allocated sequentially to the next available family, regardless of background.”
Cllr Killilea’s motion was not heard at the municipal district meeting but is expected to come before the full Galway County Council, where all 39 councillors will have an opportunity to debate the issue.
Councillors can shape operational guidelines which would make provision for non-Islam, uncoffined burials in the additional plots.