THE Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, Mr Higgins, has rejected claims that he is holding north Clare "to ransom" over his revised plans for a Burren visitors centre.
However, the Minister has confirmed that failure to obtain planning permission from Clare Co Council for the proposed development at Gortlecka on the Mullaghmore site would "impact significantly" on his support for the existing centres at Corofin, Kilfenora and Ballyvaughan. It would also have an impact on the draft management plan for the Burren National Park, he said.
Criticism of the Minister's tactics in putting forward plans to develop a facility at Gortlecka, and to fund the three existing privately owned centres, has been made by the north Clare county councillor, Mr Martin Lafferty, and by the Burren Action Group. Cllr Lafferty has said that the approach taken by the Minister's Department clearly interfered with the local authority's ability to "determine the application on its own merits.
The Burren Action Group has also rejected attempts by the Minister to tie in his proposals to an "onus" on Clare Co Council to grant planning permission for the revised facility at Gortlecka.
In its submission to the local authority, the Department states: "If planning permission for the Gortlecka (Mullaghmore) facility is not achieved then a reassessment of the nature and scale and the involvement of the Heritage Service at the other locations will be necessary. If permission is obtained for the Gortlecka facility then planning applications will be submitted for them at other locations within six months of a successful planning application for the Gortlecka site."
The Minister's submission also states that he will confirm the strategy outlined in the draft management plan for the Burren National Park "on receipt of planning permission for the entry point" at Gortlecka. If planning permission is refused, he says he will ask the steering committee - appointed to oversee preparation of a draft Burren National Park management plan - to propose amendments.
Cllr Lafferty has called on the Minister to give an assurance, that he will fund the three visitors centres at Corofin, Kilfenora and Ballyvaughan "regardless of the outcome" of the planning application for Mullaghmore. "Furthermore, I urge him to redirect funding from the ill thought out and divisive centre at Mullaghmore to ensure that the alternative village based centres are of the scale and quality necessary to benefit the economy of the Burren."
The Burren Action Group says the three centres are in line with its own "ring plan" proposals of 1991 and will have the support of the whole north Clare community.
