Setback in €10m p/a legal row

by Gordon Deegan news@clareecho.ie

CLARE Council Council has suffered a setback in its ongoing legal row with a private firm over its €10 million per annum Cliffs of Moher visitor centre business.

This follows the Court of Appeal overturning a High Court ruling that there had been an inexcusable delay in park and ride firm, Diamrem Ltd bringing court proceedings against the Council concerning the operation of the Council car-park that serves the world renowned visitor attraction.

As a result, Ms Justice Nuala Butler has directed that Diamrem promptly lodge a fresh Statement of Claim concerning its legal dispute with the Council.

Pre-Covid the Council owned Cliffs of Moher visitor operation generated annual revenues of €9.7 million with the bulk of income made from the car-park fees at the visitor attraction.

In the Court of Appeal judgement, Ms Justice Butler records how Diamrem purchased lands and constructed two Cliffs of Moher park and ride car parks for Liscannor and Doolin in 2010 and entered a contract with the council to operate the buses along these routes to serve the Cliffs of Moher.

This followed negotiations with the council about putting in place park and ride facilities.

the existing greenway, along the old Limerick to Kerry railway line, the Kingdom of Kerry Greenways and those under development.

“There is a pinch point, however, at O’Briensbridge,” added Deputy McNamara. “It is ironic, really, because it is a village that was effectively bypassed by the Shannon scheme. It is a beautiful village but one that needs investment and tourists coming into it as it would have had historically.

“That pinch point is the ESB and Parteen Weir, which is a fantastic project that I saw as recently as this morning. It is something to which tourists would flock.

“ The ESB has said that it cannot have a greenway with tourists going along its embankment. That may be the case. It may have legitimate concerns. If the civil engineering capability existed 100 years ago to harness the River Shannon, the civil engineering capability exists now to overcome this minor point”.

He stated, “The ESB wants it to go elsewhere and obtain land through a CPO. That is not the Waterways Ireland approach. It is the ESB approach”,

In response to Deputy McNamara’s invitation to visit O’Briensbridge, the Taoiseach said he would be happy to do so.

The Taoiseach confirmed that the project is at phase 2 where technical advisers are examining options for a preferred route and undertaking extensive stakeholder engagement. “Proposals to allow the use of ESB lands for the greenway are currently being considered by the ESB and further meetings are envisaged”.