This article is from page 52 of the 2006-07-04 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 52 JPG
SHANNON Development yesterday came under fire over its failure to date to appoint a tourism development officer for Clare.
Councillor Richard Nagle (FF) said that it was “extremely disappointing” that Shannon Development hadn’t yet made the appointment.
“We were told at a Clare Tourism Forum meeting last March by Shannon Development that the Tourism Development Officer for the county would be in place by April. That has come and gone and we were then told the appointment will be made in July,” he told Clare County Council’s Special Policy Committee (SPC) on Economic Development.
“We have requested that the person would work closely with the Clare Tourism Forum . . . but to date, we have met with no response.”
The council’s Director for Economic Development, Bernadette Kinsella said that it was disappointing that the officer hadn’t yet been appointed.
“There doesn’t seem to be any reason and it may be an in-house issue for Shannon Development,” she said.
Cllr Martin Lafferty (Ind) said that the Economic Development SPC had come up with the idea before Shannon Development jumped in.”
The SPC first proposed the post in March of last year in order to increase the annual tourist dividend for Clare.
Councillor Madeleine TaylorQuinn (FG) said it was critical for Clare that there was better coordination between tourism agencies.
“The difficulty has been that different agencies are competing rather than co-operating. There is a greater need for co-ordination between the agencies and a priority should be given to the establishment of a website dedicated to Co Clare,” she said.
The council’s then Director for Economic Development, Ger Dollard told the meeting that a specific rates rise of a half a per cent by the council could raise €100,000 towards the office of the post. He also pointed out that the tourist trade in Clare spent €4 million in marketing and €100,000 could be diverted towards the activities of the officer. But, the plan was set aside to allow Shannon Development announce that it was to appoint the officer.