Galway councillors have been discussing plans for a new cemetery, which would be located on a site in the Renmore area on the east side of the city.
This evening's meeting of the local authority heard that the "new lawn cemetery" would be situated on 1.7-hectare site on the Old Dublin Road.
It would have 1,600 grave plots, capable of accommodating 3,200 burials.
A number of dedicated urn plots - measuring .8 to .8 metres - would also be provided.
The proposed burial ground would be located on recreational land owned by the council, with entrance and exit through a slip road that leads to the existing Connacht Hotel.
Several councillors expressed concern about the lack of available parking spaces in the area and the impact this might have on existing housing estates and amenities.
There were also calls on the council to ensure the new facility would be able to cater for all faiths.
Others queried the wisdom of using the site in question, given its relatively small footprint and the need to ensure that adequate burial capacity was in place for the future.
A motion from independent councillor Colette Connolly that the plan be abandoned was defeated by 14 votes to two.
The council's Chief Executive, Brendan McGrath, said 40 sites around the city had been examined before the one on the Old Dublin Road was selected as being the only one capable of meeting the requirements.
He said the cost of the new cemetery was likely to run into "a seven-figure sum", a significant amount of which had already been ring-fenced for the project.
This evening’s discussion followed a 2019 vote by the council to proceed with the plan.
Work on the proposal will now continue, with a view to progressing to what’s known as 'Part 8’. This relates to the processes that have to be carried out when a local authority is undertaking a development.
