This article is from page 15 of the 2013-02-12 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 15 JPG
THE group charged with developing tourism in the west of the county is in limbo, as Shannon Development personnel try to find their new role in tourism, and the county council awaits news if the State body is still to take part of the West Clare Economic Task Force.
At yesterday’s (Monday) meeting of the West Clare area councillors, acting senior engineer Cyril Feeney said the area’s marketing officer had written to the body and other inter- ested groups in a bid to regroup for the coming tourism season.
“There doesn’t seem to be an appetite currently for this,” he said, adding that some organisations are involved in amalgamations and restructuring and have not replied.
“But leaving us in limbo is no good to us or ye,” he said.
The West Clare Economic Task Force is in place since 2009, and was drawn up to encourage economic and tourism development in the West Clare region.
It is made up of the council, Shannon Development and other inter- ested tourism bodies.
“I am very disappointed that the agency hasn’t come back. I think a lot of work was done up until now,” said Cllr Pat Keane (FF).
Although not all members of the Kilrush area were as convinced of the vital role the task force had played to date in developing the west.
Cllr PJ Kelly (FF) said, “The task force has been in operation over three years and not one job has been created. We would be deluded to think we have created jobs.”
The Lissycasey man argued that the Loophead Lighthouse project, and the jobs and spin-off jobs it created was the work of Cllr Gabriel Keating (FG) who made it one of his pre-election pledges.
Cllrs Christy Curtin (Ind) and Cllr Keane disagreed with Cllr Kelly, and asked that the report on the work of the task force be made public.