#Doonbeg - Controversial proposals for coastal defence works at Donald Trump's Doonbeg golf resort have not been proved necessary, according to the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.
As The Irish Times reports, the department's submission to Clare County Council makes note of the "complex mosaic" of Doonbeg's dune habitats, a Special Area of Conservation and home to a protected rare snail species, suggesting that any physical interference by way of a rock wall or 'berm' would result in shifting sands and other significant changes.
“The case has not been made to prove that the rates, patterns and causes of erosion at the site warrant the type and scale of the solution proposed," the submission adds.
Earlier this month Doonbeg residents came out overwhelmingly in favour of the coastal defence works, which Trump's representatives say are required for the continued operation of the resort the property tycoon and US presidential hopeful purchased in February 2014.
The 2.8km, 200,000-tonne rock barrier is opposed by various groups beyond the Co Clare village, including the local Save Doughmore Beach Protection Group. More on this story in The Irish Times.
