*Photograph: Martin Connolly
LAHINCH and Kilkee have not had recorded a good tourist season this summer according to elected representatives.
Warnings were issued at a meeting of the West Clare Municipal District that the disappointing summer on a tourism front could result in the closure of some businesses in the county.
Caution was voiced by Cllr Bill Slattery (FG), “I don’t know what it is, maybe it is the weather but Lahinch is not having a good tourist season”. He said that the lack of cars in Lahinch on some days during the month of July was a concern, “there is something gone wrong”.
He continued, “some of these businesses will close in Lahinch, they cannot sustain the lack of footfall. It has not been a very good tourist season”.
Cathaoirleach of the West Clare MD, Cllr Rita McInerney (FF) pointed out that Kilkee has also recorded a poor season in terms of visitor numbers.
Their comments came when a motion from Cllr Joe Killeen (FF) was up for discussion. He called on the Local Enterprise Office and the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Peter Burke (FG) “to carry out an assessment and introduce a business support initiative to underpin tourist related enterprises where footfall and turnover is affected due to reduced bednights in the North and West Clare area”.
Head of Enterprise with Clare LEO, Padraic McElwee said they were available to meet with any business encountering “operational challenges in their day to day trading activities. This enables us to assess the specific challenge an individual business is encountering and determine the most appropriate support”.
McElwee explained that an expert mentor is typically appoint in the first instance at no cost to the business to assist in identifying action to mitigate any adverse impacts on its operations. New supports are to be made available in the coming weeks to help achieve “significant cost reductions”.
Cost of materials, energy and labour has “hugely increased,” Cllr Killeen flagged. “All the different influences make it more difficult to stay in business,” he warned. “It is important when bednights are returned that the restaurants are still there and that we can keep the tourists in the area to supply the services when things return to normality”. He stressed that businesses that are a key component of the tourism market in North Clare need to be supported, “if they don’t see supports coming in they won’t be in business after 2024”.
Concepts looking at a real situation “like what we did during the COVID times” warrant support, Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) stated. “We looked at turnover and the Government supported businesses during COVID, it is complex and there’s issues around bed nights being lost”. He continued, “Dare I mention Ennis 2040, we’ve a Cliffs of Moher plan which should have had a North Clare transport plan in it”. Reference was also made to the Pattinson Report by Cllr Joe Garrihy, this included a recommendation to try get KilKenny Design settting up a base in Lisdoonvarna.
Garrihy continued, “it is a very complex issue, it is not simplistic, I welcome that integration team in Council have taken on bringing in external consultant to do a study on it, take away the nonsense spoken and speak with real people with real facts”.
An “integrated pillar” is required, Cllr McInerney said, “so the rising tide lifts all boats not just businesses but residents too”.
Acting Director of Services, John O’Malley told the meeting, “I am very conscious of the success of the facilities we have like the Cliffs of Moher, Vandeleur Walled Gardens and Loop Head Lighthouse, it is to measure the support for those towns and villages, the success of the strategy of the Cliffs will be dependent on the local people within the vicinity, we want to develop that strategy in line with having the supports there”. Cllr Garrihy responded, “We’ve chatted away but we haven’t an action out of it”, he said a call-out from Clare LEO and the tourism section of the Council was warranted, “it is an emergency situation”.
Killeen added, “My motion was on businesses that would not survive if these supports are not in place but we’ve ended up on the Cliffs of Moher. Unless an assessment is carried out and supports are put in place then some of those businesses will not survive”.
O’Malley said expert mentors from Clare LEO are willing to offer assistance to businesses while a similar move can be made by the tourism department if there are particular areas where councillors are getting requests.
