A Clare Government TD has called for politicians to ‘bring calm’ to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Shannon Heritage sites.
Confusion remains over negotiations between Clare County Council and the Government, with the matter set to be raised prominently at Monday’s meeting of local authority elected members.
Suggestions arose earlier this week that Clare County Council’s been told it won’t be provided State funding to facilitate the transfer of the management of Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, Craggaunowen and Knappogue Castle.
The matter prompted outcry from a number of elected representatives, and the matter was raised in the Dail, where Taoiseach Micheal Martin insisted the matter isn’t yet over.
It’s understood a working group comprising of several Government departments, the local authority and the Shannon Airport Group continues to negotiate on the matter.
CEO of the Shannon Airport Group, Mary Considine, says the sites themselves are coming off the back of a positive summer.
The initial concern came from a call understood to have been made to Council CEO Pat Dowling on Budget Day from a senior civil servant, who suggested the funding would not be provided.
However, Clare’s Fine Gael TD insists such a provision in the Budget would have been highly unusual in any case.
Clarecastle-based Deputy Joe Carey says a line in the Budget outlining the transfer was never going to happen.
Minister for Local Government Darragh O’ Brien is to visit the county later this month.
Clare’s Fianna Fail TD is hopeful the Shannon Heritage issue may have a line drawn under it by then.
Meelick-based Deputy Cathal Crowe is also calling for what he describes as ‘hysteria’ on the matter on social media to be cooled.
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