It’s emerged the Shannon Airport Group ‘contests’ the funding gap identified by Clare County Council to successfully complete the transfer of Shannon Heritage sites to its portfolio.
Documents obtained by Clare FM show the Department of Transport is also in disagreement with the local authority over what the final figure should be.
Negotiations between several Government departments, the Council and the Shannon Airport Group to complete the transfer of the sites to the local authority have been ongoing for months.
An inter-departmental group was set up earlier this year by the Department of Transport to examine the issue, though it emerged last month that group has met just four times since May.
It’s believed staff at Bunratty Castle & Folk Park, Knappogue Castle and Craggaunowen have been told the sites will be closed three days a week between January and March.
Clare FM’s obtained documents under a Freedom of Information request, including a briefing given by the Department of Local Government to the Taoiseach in October.
That briefing says the sum Clare County Council is looking for the complete the transfer of the three sites ‘is contested’ by both the Shannon Airport Group and Department of Transport.
The exact amount is redacted in the document due to commercial sensitivities, though it’s believed to amount to several million euro.
The briefing concluded by saying the transfer will only be in a position to take place “once the remaining issues are resolved”.
The matter is set to be discussed again today at this afternoon’s meeting of the Council’s Rural Strategic Policy Committee.
