*Pictured at the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience, Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG), Cllr Shane Talty (FF), Cllr Michael Shannon (FF) and Cllr Joe Killeen (FF) with Director of Economic Development for Clare County Council, Carmel Kirby and General Manager of the Cliffs of Moher Experience, Geraldine O’Rourke in the background. Photograph: Eamon Ward.
DESPITE OVER €10M being spent on the Cliffs of Moher Strategy, elected members of Clare County Council will not get the opportunity to adopt it and instead it will come before councillors “for noting”.
Elected members of the Council were told in May by then Interim Chief Executive of, Carmel Kirby the strategy had to go before West Clare MD councillors “in the coming weeks” but this has yet to take place. Elected members of the Council did conduct a site-visit to the Cliffs of Moher in June.
Speaking to The Clare Echo this week, Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) said, “The manner of spend to date on what has been confirmed in replies to notice of motions on a Draft Strategy not approved by elected representatives leaves a lot to be desired”. He also felt “issues of governance and relationship between the executive and elected representatives which I certainly hope and believe needs be fully addressed before this strategy progresses further”. He previously stated that €10m has been spent on the strategy.
Stressing that he fully supportive of a future plan and investment in the Cliffs of Moher, Cllr Garrihy said the first priority of the strategy must be the host community of North Clare. “To date the focus has been heavily dominated within the council owned Cliffs of Moher site with little investment to ensure the North Clare area impacts are positive at a level reflecting the impact and vital role of tourism in the host community”.
Flagging that the strategy never came “elected members for approval,” Cllr Garrihy sought clarity on the status of the Cliffs of Moher 2040 Strategy when raising the matter at a meeting of the County Council.
Director of Economic Development with the County Council, Carmel Kirby detailed in May that the strategy “is at final draft stage, and it is acknowledged that the strategy is not approved. It should be noted that the Cliffs of Moher Strategy is not a statutory plan requiring adoption by the Council”. She said it “remains the intention” of the Council to bring the reviewed strategy before the Council “for noting”.
She explained there were five pillars to the strategy but did not elaborate on them. “There was significant consultation during the process of drafting both the strategy document and the ElA. The overarching objectives of the strategy are sound and broadly agreed however in response to feedback following a workshop with the West Clare Municipal District councillors it was decided to undertake a review of the final draft of the Cliffs of Moher Strategy 2040”.
Surprise was voiced by Cllr Garrihy that councillors were not getting the chance to approve the adoption of the strategy. “My understanding is that the strategy itself would have to be adopted,” he admitted while welcoming confirmation that it had not been approved as of yet while stressing the need to support North Clare which is the host community of the Cliffs of Moher.
Confidence in the local authority has been dented in North Clare following a €8m deal to acquire two separate pieces of land adjacent to the Cliffs of Moher, he flagged. “We can’t get money to progress twenty yards of a footpath in Doolin which are small things just outside the Cliffs of Moher, the smallest of things we look for we’re told we have no resources for and it’s very difficult to explain that to people you are working for when we see €8m has been spent”.
A warning was issued by the Lisdoonvarna man that he will not support any strategy which does not focus on areas surrounding the Cliffs. “This is one of the most important, strategies and decisions we will make in North Clare because its impact is enormous. The whole focus of the strategy to date has been on the inside of the Cliffs of Moher, I won’t accept or support anything which doesn’t focus on the areas surrounding it, the people living nearby need to be respected with the infrastructure that they deserve”.
Expenditure to date on the strategy was flagged by Cllr Garrihy. “We’ve spent €10m on a strategy which is not adopted, it was my understanding that a spend of that scale and investment would have required our input. We do need more engagement going forward with elected members involved”. North Clare is most dependent on the footfall from the country’s most visited outdoor attraction, “we don’t have a Beckman Coulter up there, we’re not on the economic corridor or on a motorway network with Limerick or Galway, tourism is much more profoundly to North Clare. I’ve supported the Shannon Heritage transfer and Ennis 2040 but we need to recognise the scale of importance of tourism to North Clare”.
Bringing the Cliffs of Moher Strategy to a conclusion is an “almost tortuously difficult process,” Cllr Shane Talty (FF) observed. “We’re splitting hairs to see we’ll bring it back for noting, I’m not interested in noting, I want a strategy that is in the benefit of the communities”. He highlighted reports were passed sanctioning thousands of euro approval for projects like twinning and the Spancil Hill Fair and such an approach should be followed for the strategy where the majority decides. “This is the most significant project in our Municipal District, if it can’t be stated that it has the full support of elected members from an Executive why allow that to be the case”.
Support for the vision set out in the strategy was supported by Cllr Joe Killeen (FF) who noted the economic benefit of the Cliffs of Moher to the county, “a rising tide lifts all boats and the Cliffs is bringing 1.5 million visitors to the county”. He added, “the document will reflect our view for what we want to see in the Cliffs of Moher, we have to set ambitious targets, the tourism market is increasing and we have to compete with what is there, we have to be ambitious”.
There must be “openness and trust” between the Executive and councillors, Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF) stated. Clarity was also sought by Cllr Pat Burke (FG) on when the strategy would be put before councillors whether for approval or noting.
Referencing the €8m land deal, Cllr Pat Daly (FF) commented, “Mistakes were made, lessons need to be learned, councillors need to be consulted, work together, lessons should be learned that it doesn’t happen, work together as a team, this shouldn’t happen again”.
“I don’t know if I’m in favour of the Executive telling councillors what they are doing, there could be pressure put on councillors at that stage, the very minute purchases are made we should be informed, there’s enough pressure on public representatives and sometimes it is easier when you don’t know,” remarked Cllr Pat O’Gorman (FF). Confidence must be placed in the management, Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) agreed “but we also must expect mutual respect”.
According to Cllr Michael Shannon (FF), “The 2040 strategy is going to be the lead way on national tourism, it has the potential to grow and grow, the challenge for us is to manage what we have and build on it”.
Implementation is the key aspect of any strategy, Cllr Michael Begley (IND) maintained, “It has to embrace much more of North Clare, this is where the future talking needs to be done”. He added, “The Irish Open was a once off event and a significant amount of money was spent improving areas around Lahinch, the same in Newmarket-on-Fergus for the Women’s Irish Open”.
Addressing councillors, Kirby reminded them it was at draft strategy and intended to be brought before them “for information and noting. There has been extensive engagement with all councillors on the Cliffs of Moher Strategy, it won’t be finalised yet, it has to go before West Clare Municipal District councillors in the coming weeks”.
Importance of the Cliffs of Moher as a national asset was underlined by Kirby along with their efforts to increase the dwell time of visitors. “It will be brought before the Council but it won’t be finalised until everyone is on the same page, I don’t accept that a mistake has been made but I do accept we can do more to inform you all and that is something we need to look at”.
Director of Tourism Development, Siobhán McNulty outlined that the strategy intends to “spread benefit across the county in terms of tourism and investment not just focused on North Clare”. She said a briefing would be held on-site at the Cliffs.
Cllr Ian Lynch (IND) in response stated, “the briefing is very important, it is so important because it should be in the Chamber, it is of national importance and if it is taken to the Cliffs of Moher where we can’t log in online, taking this out of the Chamber where it is so important is not the appropriate way to go. If ye want to have a look at it, go there and come back here the following day”. McNulty said an online link would be provided but the visit was to focus on walking the site.
