Tim O'Brien

Great to see this issue covered in @IrishTimes @TheIrishTim but sadly it is unlikely that we will get to debate my motion, calling for greater access to secular funeral services, before this Council term ends. Credit to @barrymward as this was his idea first and had the same motion on the agenda back when he was a Councillor. It was withdrawn before I had a chance to speak in support. The latest census shows that fourteen per cent of Irish people have no religion. @dlrcc has the highest proportion with no religion at 24 per cent of the population. As one of those atheists, I personally found when organising my own secular wedding, that I faced some additional hurdles compared with those getting married in one faith or with the humanist society. When a person dies, this is not the time to add additional challenges to the grieving family and friends of the deceased. It is my view that @dlrcc should be doing everything to support this community, especially at a time of grief. There are some funeral formats where they are invite only. These could be accommodated at County Hall, where there are strict restrictions on the number of people who can be in the Assembly Hall for health and safety purposes. We should also be trying to source additional Council-owned rooms and venues, across the county, to facilitate larger services. irishtimes.com/ireland/socia… – at Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, Ireland