Death notices website RIP.ie will implement a €100 charge per death notice effective from January.
The website is one of the most popular in the country, with users able to get up to date funeral information for those who have passed away.
Funeral directors take care of ensuring the information is on RIP.ie, and will subsequently be charged the €100 fee from January 1.
The Irish Times Group purchased the website earlier in 2024.
‘SEEKING CLARITY’
Speaking to RTÉ’s Drivetime, John Mark Griffin of the Irish Association of Funeral Directors (IAFD) said that members were ‘seeking clarity around the costings’ as he noted a ‘vagueness’ on whether VAT was included in the fee or not.
Galway funeral director Joe Grogan told the radio show that funerals were ‘a sensitive business’ and expressed his expectation that the bill would be passed onto the families of the deceased.
RIP.ie confirmed to Extra.ie that the charge was being implemented, stating that the monies would support the development and enhancement of the service.
‘Investing in our service will ensure that RIP.ie remains a trusted resource for bereaved families across Ireland and for the hundreds of thousands of people who post messages of condolence to those families on the site every week,’ they said. ‘The platform, which operates seven days a week, also ensures people can find key information about funerals and funeral-related services.’
They added: ‘We believe the new fee structure offers fair and good value for money. We have no plans to introduce a charge to users for the site.’
‘GREED, PURE AND SIMPLE’
Newly elected Labour TD Conor Sheehan has branded the move ‘greed, pure and simple’ as he called on the Irish Times Group to reconsider.
The Limerick TD said: ‘At the worst time in someone’s life, the last thing people need to consider is if they can afford to announce the death of a loved one.
‘Charging people €100 to post a death notice is wrong. RIP.ie has become a crucial community tool for people up and down this country, and I am calling on The Irish Times to reverse this decision.’
i have no reason to be as annoyed as i am about the RIP .ie irish times thing but i am absolutely seething every time i think about it
— shauna (@wednesdaysadums) December 17, 2024
Mr Sheehan noted that while the fee will be for the funeral directors, it will ultimately be ‘passed onto the grieving family.’
‘The announcement of a loved one’s death should not be on the basis of financial means,’ he said, adding that the website seems to ‘function perfectly’ as it is.
The Labour TD added that changing the operations of the site would be ‘regressive,’ particularly to those not digitally native.
