Uncertainty over Cliffs of Moher plan

The fate of Clare County Council's €27 million Cliffs of Moher visitor centre is in the balance due to the failure of the Department of Tourism to sanction a €15 million loan for the project.

The council recently lodged a comprehensive business plan and application to Fáilte Ireland for €10 million in grant aid. Without the aid the council cannot proceed as it has no funding of its own.

For the application to be processed by Fáilte Ireland, the council must show matching funding and the local authority is still awaiting the Department of Tourism's approval of the €15 million loan.

With Fáilte Ireland scheduled to make a decision on the council's application this autumn, the council is currently making attempts to have the loan sanctioned.

Already, it has spent €2 million on the scheme, and its head of economic development, Mr Gerard Dollard, admitted yesterday that it was "make or break" for the project over the next few weeks.

Referring to difficulties in securing the loan sanction, Mr Dollard said: "Issues at national level at this stage are causing certain difficulties.

"Unless we get the required loan sanction I think Fáilte Ireland will find it impossible to process an application in which there isn't evidence of matching funding."

Mr Dollard said: "It would be a disaster for Clare if the project was to fall because the cliffs need the project, Clare needs this project and Ireland needs this project".

He said: "We have waited 12 years to get to this stage.

"We have one opportunity and if this opportunity doesn't happen I think we are looking at a very long period for the cliffs to continue in their present state and possibly back to another 12 years of debate and discussion on what course of action to take, and that is in no one's interest."

The council secured five-year permission last December for the plan in the face of opposition from its former partners in the project, Shannon Development and An Taisce.

The 650,000 visitors to the cliffs annually are served by a shop and tea-rooms.

Mr Dollard said: "I wouldn't even countenance the project not going ahead. It has to go ahead, and I think everyone has failed if it doesn't go ahead.

"The cliffs are of international significance and what we are offering at the moment is poor, the facilities are poor, the image is poor and we need to do something about it."