Number of cremations in NI 'set to double'
Belfast City Council has agreed to hire extra staff at Roselawn Crematorium in the city to allow more cremations to take place.
The current waiting time for such funerals is about eight days.
The findings of a review into the situation were presented to the city council on Tuesday night.
It then voted in favour of recruiting extra staff and extending opening hours. The changes will double the number of cremations here.
Cremations now account for 18% of all funerals in Northern Ireland.
Current staffing levels at Roselawn had been described as "totally inadequate to meet the demand".
A review by the council's Parks and Leisure Committee found some funerals were delayed by up to eight days because of poor staffing levels, which caused "additional distress to bereaved families".
The changes, agreed by the council, are expected to lead to a jump in the number of cremations and triple the income of the crematorium.