Clare County Council has spent nearly €700,000 on consultancy services in the development of its draft Cliffs of Moher 2040 strategy, reports Breaking News.
In response to a Freedom of Information query, the Council revealed that €691,001 has been spent over the past five and a half years.
The majority of this amount — €617,618 — was paid to Haley Sharpe Design Ltd, which received €473,318 in 2020 and 2021, reports Breaking News.
The draft strategy acts as a framework for future improvements to visitor amenities at the Cliffs of Moher and proposes a complete redevelopment of current facilities.
The Cliffs remain Ireland’s leading tourist site, drawing 1.49 million visitors last year, reports Breaking News.
A Council spokesperson said that 2024 visitor levels are similar to those of 2024.
The draft strategy notes that “over the past 10 years, visitor numbers have far exceeded those which the site was originally designed to cater for. This has significant negative impacts on both the quality of the visitor experience and the special qualities and environment of the site”, reports Breaking News.
It also highlights that the narrow cliff-edge paths “also create health and safety issues, resulting in erosion of the cliff-edge itself as visitors go beyond the designated pathways”.
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Additionally, the document says “the paths beyond the visitor experience are considered to be a major safety hazard due to their proximity to the unstable cliff-edge and unpredictable weather conditions”.
It continues: “visitors rarely heed the warnings in situ and try to get as close to the edge as possible for photograph opportunities”, reports Breaking News.
The draft strategy also states that “the design of the current visitor centre, retail and catering spaces does little to mitigate the impact of crowds and are under-scaled for the current needs and expectations of visitors at a world-class experience”.
A Council representative said the Cliffs of Moher 2040 strategy remains in draft form and is available for public viewing at www.cliffsofmoher.ie, reports Breaking News.
He added, “There is no set date for adoption. The public and stakeholder consultation phases and the Strategic Environmental Assessment stages are complete,” reports Breaking News.
When asked if the consultant costs represented good value, a Council spokesperson said: “Clare County Council, supported by Fáilte Ireland, engaged consultants to prepare a strategy on its behalf.”
He said, “The preparation of the strategic document was guided by an expert steering committee,” reports Breaking News.
He added, “The public and stakeholder consultations informed the shaping of the draft strategy and aspects of the draft strategy are currently being implemented, including the implementation of a sustainable transport solution for the Cliffs of Moher and for north Clare, spreading tourism economic benefits across the county,” reports Breaking News.
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