Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council is weighing options to bolster cemetery staffing after a meeting heard that reliance on temporary teams is unsustainable.

At a meeting on 27 July, councillors and senior officers discussed immediate pressures on burial and grounds maintenance services across the borough, including Kernan Cemetery in Portadown.

Portadown DEA councillor Julie Flaherty, an Ulster Unionist, said short-term deployments of ground maintenance crews, including a 12-person Blitz Squad, had produced visible improvements but could not substitute for permanent staffing. She warned that if numbers fall further by September, the council may have to tell grieving families that grass cutting and other upkeep cannot be maintained.

Director of Environmental Services and Sustainability Jonathan Hayes confirmed that a resource plan covering burials and grounds maintenance is being prepared. It will be brought to the autumn estimate-setting process if additional funding is required.

Claire Duddy, head of Climate, Parks and Sustainability, told members that work is under way with human resources to accelerate recruitment, revise job descriptions to remove barriers, and develop contingency plans. Cemetery manager Martin McCorry has submitted a plan to ensure burials can continue during periods of severe staff shortage.

DUP councillor Peter Haire, representing Banbridge, suggested the council explore seasonal workers and apprenticeship opportunities. Alderman Stephen Moutray, of the Lurgan area, said pulling the Blitz Squad away from street cleaning and other duties was not a long-term solution and urged consideration of private contractors.

Alderman Mark Baxter, from Lagan River, asked for details on third-party support. Ms Duddy said a review of wider grounds maintenance is under way and that work is being done to bring in external help for burials when the in-house service is stretched.

Ms Duddy acknowledged that teams are already drawn from depleted grounds maintenance resources and stressed the importance of the cemetery service as a frontline council function.