Clare farmers vow to resist any CPO of lands along planned route of Cliffs of Moher walk

Clare County Council says it remains committed to working with local landowners to progress to development of the Cliffs of Moher walk.

The local authority says it cannot comment on aspects of the so-called Tobin report which were leaked earlier this week as it remains in draft form and has not been formally signed off or approved.

According to various reports, it is understood the Tobin report has recommended that Clare County Council should compulsorily acquire all required lands along the 18km route between Doolin and Hags Head.

IFA President Francie Gorman has strongly rejected the suggestion that the local authority should use CPO legislation.

"This is nothing short of an attempt to intimidate and bully the landowners and will be resisted outright. Many years ago landowners on the Cliffs of Moher agreed to allow a permissive walk through their lands and they are now being threatened with a CPO,” he said.

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Former Clare IFA Chair Tom Lane, who has been leading negotiations on behalf of landowners, has called on Clare County Council to immediately withdraw the CPO option and threat from the draft report, which has not been officially published.

“Instead, they should engage constructively with the farmers and the IFA so an appropriate and effective arrangement can be agreed on the Cliffs of Moher coastal walk which reflects the scale of up to 1.5m tourists and estimated revenue of €19mannually," he stated.

A spokesperson for Clare County Council commented: “As the 'Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walk Management Plan' or the so-called Tobin Report, is still a draft and not signed off by the relevant partners, Clare County Council cannot comment on the report at this stage."

The spokesperson added that the local authority does acknowledge the upset to landowners following the leaked report of the initial draft. "With much of the attention from the leaked report focusing on the possible use of CPO. This is never the preferred option of Clare County Council who remain committed to continue working with local landowners in the area to ensure a walk can ultimately exist from Doolin to Hags Head."

Clare County Council says it looks forward to engaging and discussing future plans for the Cliffs of Moher Walk with all interested parties following the publication of the final report.

The aim of the Tobin report, which was commissioned last year, is to identify the appropriate future management structure for the Cliffs of Moher Walking Trail.

Almost 40 landowners will be directly impacted if the proposed walk is developed.