IAFD News Irish Association Of Funeral Directors successfully lobby Government on behalf of bereaved
T
he 26 counties in the Republic of Ireland moved to Level 5 of the Living with Covid plan on Wednesday 21st October 2020. In the original plan level 5 restricted the number of mourners permitted to attend funeral services to 10 people.
However, following extensive lobbying by the IAFD on behalf of its members and by other concerned parties the Government reviewed this limitation and keep the number permitted to attend funerals at the current limit of 25 people.
2020/2021
COURSE
T
he Education Officer and Programme Coordinator are responsible for delivering the FDCA Course which is more relevant to the work of funeral directors, and less expensive and less demanding time wise than the previous course, the Certificate in Funeral Practice. The FDCA consists of three modules: 1. Operating and Managing a Funeral Business. 2. Arranging and Managing a Funeral; and
AGM
3. Safety and Health in the workplace. Despite current restrictions due to COVID19 IAFD were determined to proceed with the course and are pleased to announce that 16 students commenced the course on 8th October 2020. As with so much of life at present the course is being run via Zoom, which has been a learning curve for everyone however initial feedback from the students has been positive.
W
ork continues towards hosting the annual AGM via Zoom. As with the Education programme this will be a first for IAFD and we are sure it will also be a learning curve. We are looking forward to meeting our Members, even if it is virtually.
New IAFD Board Member O
n 24th September 2020 Keith Greaney from Galway was co-opted onto the Board of IAFD. Keith is married to Cathriona (A Galway Girl) and father to three girls. Following a career in various management roles, Keith, who had always been curious about funeral services, started work with Robert Conneely in Conneely’s in February 2018 and as trade embalmers he developed a real understanding of what goes on behind the scenes. Everyday interaction with many different Funeral Directors (both in size and in style of working) has given him a broad perspective of funeral services as a whole. Keith said “I was drawn to the Board of the IAFD because I believe funeral directors and funeral service providers are the glue holding many families together when they are bereaved. While we can’t grieve for them, we can take care of everything else to allow them the space that they need to grieve. I will always be grateful to Robert Conneely for having the foresight to see that I had transferable skills, built up over the years, that could be very useful in the funeral business.”
12 | FuneralTimes
