Plans to digitalise cemetery records at a Northern Ireland council are being held up because some of the documents are so old.
A consultation for the new Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council (LCCC) cemetery strategy was completed earlier this year with the outcome expected in the coming weeks.
Lisburn South councillor, Alan Givan (DUP) requested an update on the new technology for graveyard records.
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“For some time now we have been told that the cemetery records would all be digitalised,” said Cllr Givan.
“I would like to know have all these now be completed?”
LCCC currently operates nine graveyards in the district with its new cemetery strategy, when complete, to remain in place until 2032.
However, the only cemetery the public can purchase a new plot in is Lisburn New Cemetery and this can only be purchased at the time of an interment.
LCCC head of environmental health, Richard Harvey told the committee chamber on Wednesday that the digital service was being held back due to the delicate nature of the existing records to be transferred.
“The answer is, no,” said Mr Harvey.
“Any new burials being interned into graves will be digitalised.
“The strategy going forward has been put out to consultation.
“The problem is with many of the historical burials we are talking about records on pieces of what can only be described as parchment paper, they are that old.
“There will be no extra staff directed into the process.
“It will be a matter of when it is a quieter time that we can update the records,” he added.
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