Clare County Council pays almost €700,000 to consultants for Cliffs of Moher 2040 draft strategy

Gordon Deegan

Clare County Council has paid almost €700,000 to consultants in preparing its draft Cliffs of Moher 2040 strategy.

In response to a Freedom of Information request, the Council has confirmed a spend of €691,001 over the last five and a half years.

The bulk of the money, at €617,618, has been paid to Haley Sharpe Design Ltd, and the firm received €473,318 in 2020 and 2021.

The draft strategy provides a blueprint for the development of visitor facilities at the Cliffs of Moher, outlining the need for a complete overhaul of the facilities.

The Cliffs of Moher are the most popular visitor attraction, and last year, 1.49 million visited the attraction.

A spokesman for the Council said that visitor numbers in 2024 are on a par with 2024.

The draft strategy states 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”.

It adds that the restricted cliff-edge paths “also create health and safety issues, resulting in erosion of the cliff-edge itself as visitors go beyond the designated pathways”.

The draft strategy states that “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 states that “visitors rarely heed the warnings in situ and try to get as close to the edge as possible for photograph opportunities”.

It further 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 spokesman said that the Cliffs of Moher 2040 strategy is in draft format and is available for the public to view at www.cliffsofmoher.ie.

He said, “There is no set date for adoption. The public and stakeholder consultation phases and the Strategic Environmental Assessment stages are complete.”

Asked does the Council believe that the consultant spend has provided value for money, a council spokesman 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.

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.”