This article is from page 3 of the 2011-11-29 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 3 JPG
SHANNON Development’s role as a driver of the mid-west economy over the past 50 years could be wiped away with the stroke of a pen in next week’s Budget, the Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar has revealed.
On a visit to Clare on Saturday, Minister Varadkar spelled out clearly that Shannon Development’s future as the engine of the mid-west economy now hangs in the balance, if its responsibilities for tourism marketing and business development are taken over by other state agencies.
“Shannon Development has a remit for tourism marketing as well as product development, enterprise development, inward investment and does a lot of different things,” said Minister Varadkar.
“Its remit is under Minister Richard Bruton (Enterprise, Jobs and Innovation) rather than under my remit. What the Government has said is that Fáilte Ireland is willing to take over all of Shannon Development’s tourism functions, if the agency is subsumed into the IDA and Enterprise Ireland.
“Fáilte Ireland operates in the midwest already and would be including the region in all its broader marketing and would be marketing in much the same way as is markets the south west. In the past, Shannon Development had a very big income from its properties, which it was then able to re-invest into tourism in the region. Because of the collapse in the property market, Shannon Development doesn’t have that income anymore,” he added.
This means that, as a worst case scenario, Shannon Development’s role within the region could be relegated to overseeing the management of facilities such as Bunratty, Knappogue and Dungaire Castles.
“Shannon Heritage does a very good job of running its attractions and that operates as a company and I certainly wouldn’t see that changing,” said Minister Varadkar.
If the proposed changes to the operation of Shannon Development don’t go ahead, Minister Varadkar said, “I don’t see any reason not to continue the status quo, except that we will be taking over the marketing functions, but Shannon Development could continue to run the attractions and run its own properties, but things are changing.”
Shannon Development was established in 1959 as the Shannon Free Airport Development Company. The agency is responsible for the Shannon Free Zone and the National Technology Park in Limerick.
Shannon Town was also created and managed by the company until it was transferred to Clare County Council in 2004 – a transfer that was the biggest property transaction in the history of the state.