Bereavement Advocacy

OIREACHTAS BRIEFING PAPER

Our Oireachtas briefing paper outlines our key asks in relation to baby loss.

 

WE NEED YOUR HELP

One of our key campaigns for 2021 is to highlight the importance of waiving the fee for a burial plot where a baby will be buried and the introduction of a Children’s Burial Fund. Find out more below about how you can help us achieve this goal.

 

THE COST OF BABY LOSS

The death of a baby is something that parents are often completely emotionally and financially unprepared for. Many bereaved parents must rely on the generosity of friends and family or must take out a bank loan to pay for their baby’s burial or cremation and funeral. In the darkest moment of a bereaved parent’s life, they should not have to endure the financial burden of meeting funeral costs.

We would like to commend Kildare County Council for introducing a policy to waiver the fee for a single burial plot where a baby under 18 months old will be buried. If parents choose to purchase a family plot for their baby, the plot fee will be equally reduced. Alternatively, if parents choose to bury their baby in an “angels” plot, the council will also waive the fee.

 

OUR ASKS

  1. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage must instruct all local authorities to introduce the same policy as Kildare County Council as a best practice standard.
  2. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage must instruct all local authorities to waive the fees for planning permission for headstones, where a baby will be buried.
  3. A Children’s Burial Fund should be established by the Department of Social Protection so that local authorities can claim back the cost of waiving the fee for a burial plot where a baby will be buried.

 

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

Below is a letter template outlining the importance of waiving the fee for the burial plot where a baby will be buried and the introduction of a Children’s Burial Fund. You can send this letter directly to your local councillor.

You can also email us at info@inha.ie and give permission for your name to be added to the letter that INHA will be sending to the CEO of each county council and Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

If you have any queries or if we can help in any way, do let us know by emailing us at info@inha.ie or 085 1920 602.

 

SUBMISSIONS MADE TO THE PUBLIC CONSULTATION PROCESS

We sometimes make submissions to various public consultations, lobbying for the needs of bereaved parents.

Recent consultations we have responded to include:

THE DEPARTMENT OF ENTERPRISE, TRADE AND EMPLOYMENT PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON THE INTRODUCTION OF A  STATUTORY SICK PAY SCHEME.

There is currently no statutory entitlement for paid leave for parents whose child has died. This situation transfers the onus of responsibility for leave arrangements to employers which can result in bereaved parents being left in the lurch. We asked the Department to the progress the provision Parental Bereavement Leave when a child dies alongside a proposed Bill by the Department to introduce paid sick leave for all employees.

 

DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN, EQUALITY, DISABILITY, INTEGRATION AND YOUTH PUBLIC CONSULTAION ON THE DEVELOPEMNT OF A NATIONAL MODEL OF PARENTING SUPPORT SERVICES

For bereaved parents, it is often helpful to seek additional support outside of the support that they receive from family and friends as parental grief can bring about particular challenges. Some bereaved parents seek organised supports from baby loss organisations, which may involve professional counselling but many of these organisations, operate on a voluntary basis and do not receive State funding and struggle to provide such supports.

We are asking that the Government develop and implement a policy on mental health needs for parental bereavement which should inform future mental health policy.