Julie Flaherty applauded for ‘trailblazing’ child’s funeral fund idea

Announced on Mother’s Day, (Sunday, March 27) by the Department for Communities, the fund will help families in Northern Ireland pay the costs of a child’s funeral.

It will offer a one-off payment of £3,056 to all families regardless of their financial situation for the death of any child under the age of 18 and will also be available in the event of a still birth after 24 weeks.

Commenting on the announcement at the council’s monthly meeting on Monday evening, Councillor Julie Flaherty told the chamber how it has been “a long emotional road” to get this fund introduced and thanked everyone on the council for their continued support.

“This is a quest I have been on since I first brought the issue to committee here in 2018,” said Cllr Flaherty.

“I have been very frustrated and impatient at times and I have been so very angered at times but I always knew it was the right thing to do, a good thing to do and the compassionate thing to do.

“I want to take this chance to thank the Chief Executive (Roger Wilson) and council officers in environmental services, cemetery management and registration for taking the issue so seriously, sensitively and having worked so hard to implement our own scheme of mitigation here in ABC Council.

“It has been said to me that sometimes I use my grief and should move on but as I have said before I never will and don’t want to.

“I ask for these things because is it the life I have lived and my experience. I hope the experience that we had with Jake has shaped this in some way and that the child funeral fund will be welcome comfort to any parent who might need to avail of it in the future.”

Her party colleague, Councillor Jill Macauley praised Cllr Flaherty’s efforts in what she described as a “trailblazing campaign” and said this is a great example of “good politics in action”.

Sinn Fein group leader, Councillor Liam Mackle also commended Cllr Flaherty’s “determination” and said confirmation of the establishment of this fund was a “real victory for wee Jake”.

“I would like to commend Minister Deirdre Hargey MLA as well as I know she was determined to get it across the line before she left office and Mother’s Day was an appropriate day to get it there so well done,” he said.

Acknowledging that he and Cllr Flaherty do not always see eye to eye, DUP group leader, Councillor Mark Baxter was full of praise for the UUP councillor telling the chamber the “round of applause said it all”.

“On this issue I think its fair to say without Cllr Flaherty’s input we would not be where we are,” said Cllr Baxter.

“I don’t believe the announcement would have been made if not for your efforts and I think we all have to take our hats off to you.

“You said earlier when you get the bit between your teeth officers will know about it and you certainly did not let this one go and the tenacity has won through. Well done to you Julie, congratulations.”

Alliance Party councillor, Peter Lavery said Cllr Flaherty was the first person he thought of when he heard the announcement, praised her tireless campaigning on the issue and said he was hopeful the fund will be of “some comfort to those who need to access it in the future”.

SDLP group leader Councillor Thomas O’Hanlon said he too thought of Cllr Flaherty as soon as he heard the news and described the timing of the announcement as being “very poignant”.

“Maybe it was a wee message from someone up above to say ‘well done ma, you got there in the end,” he said.