A DRAFT report on the management of the Cliffs of Moher walking trail has recommended that full ownership of the walkway be taken over by Clare County Council.
Commissioned by Clare County Council, Clare Local Development Company, Fáilte Ireland and the Department of Rural and Community Development, the Tobin Report recommends the future management of the 18km scenic coastal walk be taken over by the County Council.
Safety works commenced along sections of the trail at the beginning of August in the wake of health and safety concerns raised following the tragic deaths of a twelve year old boy in July who went missing after being separated from his family at the Cliffs of Moher and the death of a woman in her twenties after she reportedly lost her footing when walking with friends. Sections of the route have remained closed since then.
In order to ensure the long-term development and safety of the trail, the Tobin Report recommends that the best option is for the Council to take it into its ownership.
This view had previously been expressed by former Chief Executive of the County Council, Pat Dowling in November, “people board aeroplanes from all over the world to visit the Cliffs of Moher, who owns it doesn’t matter, we are encouraging them to come here and we need to make sure it is safe, to do that we need full control”.
All options should be explored by the Council to secure ownership, including long-term leases and acquiring the land by compulsory purchase order (CPO) if necessary, the report detailed. The report does acknowledge a “perceived inequality” associated with the significant annual fees which the visitor centre receives, and farmers, given that the coastal walk is an important part of the overall cliffs amenity, feel they are not properly compensated for providing access to their lands for the enjoyment of visitors.
Calculations from the report estimate that it will cost €460,000 per annum to manage the trail. The report suggested that €275,000 of this should be funded via entrance fees to the Cliffs of Moher. The remainder should be provided from either the Department of Rural and Community Development or a subvention from Fáilte Ireland.
On top of the annual maintenance fee which is just under half a million euro, payment to the thirty six landowners who own the trail is suggested, this could be done by either a long-term lease agreement or by selling the land to the Council, the report said. The largest portion of the maintenance fee is €200,000 for a framework contractor followed by €100,000 for stakeholder consultation and the contract of a trail manager for €70,000. In-house maintenance costs are estimated to be €50,000 with €20,000 the predicted fee to fund bird surveys and geotechnical studies.
A timeline of works provided in the report outlines that the Cliffs of Moher walk is unlikely to be reopened fully until the 2028 tourist season.
The report stated that sections of the trail could be reopened before 2028 with some sections potentially reopening this year.
