Dublin Office: 0818 935 000 | Belfast Office: 0800 912 1500
The New Education Programme, Funeral Directing Certificate Award, has now commenced with twenty-six candidates registered. Twenty attended on Day 1 – 16th November 2017. It was a great start to the programme with a good mix of candidates from small to large firms participating. The President, Mary Cunniffe was present and welcomed everyone. All candidates have gone to work on their first assignment!
It gives us great pleasure to announce on behalf of the Board that Robert Fanagan has been appointed Second Vice President of IAFD. We wish him well in this new additional role.
Gerard Clarke, Stephen Collier, John Foley and Colm Kieran met the Minister for Health, Simon Harris, T.D. in October 2016. The meeting formed part of the Board’s initiative to raise the profile of the IAFD. The Minister is Stephen Collier’s local TD and as a result Stephen was able to facilitate the arrangement of the meeting.
A number of interesting topics were discussed and in particular Hospital Deaths (Control of Infectious Diseases). The result in that regard will be further engagement with the Department on this very important subject for our members. In addition, future relationships with the Dept. of Health and other Government Departments were discussed together with the subject of the profile of the IAFD.
The Minister was pleased with the IAFD initiative to seek the meeting and offered to be of assistance in a number of different ways including the provision of points of contact across relevant government ministries. The meeting was very successful and has the potential of being a significant milestone for the IAFD which should lead to other positive opportunities.
Pictured Above - Left to Right – John Foley (1st Vice President of the IAFD), Simon Harris (Minister for Health), Gerard Clarke (President of the IAFD), Stephen Collier (Colliers Funeral Directors, Bray), Colm Kieran (PRO of the IAFD)
A number of recent regional meetings were preceded by a free Health & Safety session which focused on the needs of Funeral Directors. The courses were delivered by Mr Tom Oxberry (FPPI) who is recognised as one of the leading trainers in relation to Health & Safety Regulation in the country who put the sessions together with particular emphasis on Health and Safety in Funeral Service.
These sessions are a great opportunity for your business to review your existing Health & Safety policy and to familiarise and update yourself and your staff with the current legislation in Health & Safety. We would encourage all members to attend any future sessions or to send a staff member who has responsibility for Health and Safety, as this workshop will enlighten and inform everyone.
If you require any further information or you wish to book a place on that workshop, please contact Donal Forde via education@iafd.ie
The Forum on End of Life have launched an initiative called “Think Ahead” with the aim of helping members of the public to discuss and record their preferences in the event of emergency, serious illness or death.
Think Ahead the ‘flagship project’ of the Forum on End of Life in Ireland which was launched in March 2009 by President McAleese. Following a public consultation identifying a issues of concern to the public, an action plan was devised. Central to this is developing of initiatives to help the public engage with end of life issues and plan their own responses. The Forum is guided by a National Council, chaired by Mrs. Justice Catherine McGuinness, and is an initiative of the Irish Hospice Foundation.
The idea developed over a series of public meetings held throughout Ireland between 2009 and 2010.
Together, members of the public, emergency services, medical, legal and financial professionals recognised the importance of planning ahead to make sure that an individual’s right to make decisions for themselves and to be heard are honoured.
Input from all groups helped to craft the Think Ahead form – a document that will guide your thoughts on planning for your end of life and help protect those close to you from anxiety that comes with the illness or death of a loved one.
The “Think Ahead” form can be downloaded from:
http://www.thinkahead.ie/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Think-Ahead-July-2014.pdf
For more information on the Think Ahead initiative can be found by visiting their website www.thinkahead.ie
In June 2013, 26 year old Kevin Bell from Newry Co. Down was killed in a hit a run accident in New York. Kevin was a talented footballer and very popular, the locals in Newry organized a fundraiser to repatriate Kevin from New York, in one night £42,000.00 pounds was raised with alot more money continued to be raised. Kevin’s parents Collie & Eithne made a decision to set up a trust in his memory to help other families with the financial expense of repatriation of loved ones that would die abroad. In the present climate of emigration alot of young people are abroad and unfortunately tragedies happen. I am a Funeral Director myself in Sligo and recently I had a repatriation of a 24 year old from Las Vegas, I received a call from Damian Ruddy who is a trustee of the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust offering financial help with the repatriation, I discussed this with the family and they decided they would have family flowers only and donations if desired would go to the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust in recognition of the financial help. The trust is for those who would not have any travel insurance.
Collie & Eithne Bell deserve great credit for the trust and are available to assist:
Any enquires regarding the trust can be got from
Damian Ruddy on 00447851424934
Email damianruddy@yahoo.co.uk
Gerard Clarke
gerardclarkeandsons@eircom.net
Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the contents of this website are accurate,the I.A.F.D. cannot accept responsibility for any error or omissions or loss occasioned to any person acting or refraining from acting as a result of any material in his website.
Call
Menu
Dublin Office