This article is from page 16 of the 2006-10-24 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 16 JPG
CLARE Council should focus on securing additional Government funding for the €31.5 million Cliffs of Moher visitor centre so the site can be enjoyed as a National Treasure and not as a rip-off location.
That is the view of Fine Gael councillor, Joe Carey, who expressed his concern over the charges in a letter to the visitor centre’s project leader, Ger Dollard in August.
In a letter released to The Clare People through the Freedom of Information Act, Cllr Carey said, “These charges will drive people away rather than encourage them into our county.”
The council is proposing to double parking charge for motorists from €4 to €8 and increase the fee for coaches to €60 though it has offered two separate discount schemes to coach operators.
In a response to a previous letter by Cllr Carey, which also expressed concern over the charges, council official, Ger Dollard justified the charges.
He said: “We have done a price comparison with other attractions in this country and abroad and the charge rate per individual in many cases far exceeds those proposed for the Cliffs of Moher.
“It has been pointed out that the added benefits for County Clare in introducing these new charges has been completely lost in the debate over whether new charges should be implemented.
“The new charges will lead to the proper tourism and environmental management of the Cliffs and other tourist sites around Clare, which the tourist industry in Clare has been seeking for many years.
“I have no doubt that when the completed project is in place, value for money will clearly be demonstrated and visitors will appreciate the extent of what the council has implemented and that the charges will be very reasonable for what will be a world class visitor experience at a world class site.
The level of charges also came under fire from Eamon McKeon, chief executive of the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation, prior to the council revising its charges to coach operators.
In a letter last August, Mr McKeon said, “The Cliffs are located in Clare, but they belong to the people of Ireland. It is noted that a sizeable loan has to be serviced, but it also the case that a very sizeable grant has been approved for the project. We are very pleased with the development and anxious for its success, but the proposed level of charges is unreasonable.”