Doubt has been cast on plans to have Clare County Council take over certain tourist sites owned by Shannon Heritage, because of concerns around legal guarantees and funding.
Under the proposals, which emerged in June, the local authority would take control of Bunratty Castle & Folk Park, Craggaunowen Bronze Age Park, Knappogue Castle & Walled Garden and the Cliffs of Moher retail unit.
They are currently part of Shannon Heritage, which is owned by the Shannon Group.
It is set to refocus its efforts on the post-pandemic recovery of Shannon Airport, which it also owns.
But in a statement today, Clare County Council said it cannot proceed with the proposed takeover of the Clare assets of Shannon Heritage at this time without real and meaningful support from the Government.
It said a due diligence report completed in July which was submitted to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Department of Transport had identified a funding package required to upgrade and maintain the sites for three years.
It added that it had also outlined its vision for overseeing the management, development, and promotion of the Shannon Heritage sites and their incorporation into a portfolio of signature visitor attractions and sites throughout Clare.
"Clare County Council has engaged constructively with all parties to the process approaching two years," it said.
"Despite every effort made and the good faith demonstrated by the Council throughout the process and in the absence of any funding commitment from government and a resolution to outstanding significant elements of the draft legal agreement between the Local Authority and Shannon Airport Group, including the footprint of the site and indemnities at Bunratty Castle & Folk Park, the Local Authority is unable to proceed with the proposed takeover at this time," it stated.
"To do so would have a significant impact on services and commercial businesses in Clare," it added.
But the council also added that it remains open to further engagement on the future management and development of Shannon Heritage assets in the county.
The development comes a day after members of the SIPTU union employed by Shannon Group protested for a second day at the decision by the company to reduce opening hours at the Bunratty Castle & Folk Park.
The workers were also protesting at what they said was a lack of progress on the promised multi-million euro investment package to facilitate the transfer of the sites to Clare County Council.
The union said that in recent weeks the council's senior management had told its members that the Government had made no money available for the transfer.
Instead, Bunratty Castle & Folk Park will cease to operate on a seven day per week basis from 8 January and will only be open to the public on a four-day per week basis from 12 January until Wednesday 1 March, 2023.
"No rationale has been given for this latest decision, as the sites have outperformed Shannon Groups' projections in terms of visitor numbers for 2022," said Rachel Kane, SIPTU organiser.
"If the sites had transferred to Clare County Council, as promised, we are confident that this site would be open seven days as week during these months as it did pre-Covid," she said.
"Other sites in Limerick and Dublin, including King John's Castle, Malahide Castle and Newbridge House and Gardens, which successfully transferred from Shannon Heritage, are fully open and trading," she added.
