Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
Updated 22.46
DONALD TRUMP HAS landed in Ireland, vowing to bring “hundreds” of jobs over the next few years in Co Clare, and promising environmentalists that he will, in fact, be a friend of the ‘Vertigo angustior’ — the microscopic snail that has hampered the development plans of Doonbeg golf resort’s previous owners.
The Trump Organisation snapped up the luxury hotel and golf course for a knockdown price of €15 million in February — and the US businessman told reporters at Shannon Airport this morning that he was planning to “at least double or triple” that investment as part of his initial plans.
He also said he would work closely with environmental authorities on the redevelopment of the Greg Norman designed course — which was badly damaged in the recent winter storms.
The 67-year-old billionaire — best known in recent years for his role as host of The Apprentice, and his ‘birther’ campaign against Barack Obama — caused a stir among tourists and workers at the airport, as his customised 757 swept in from the west shortly before 8am.
He was greeted at the end of the red-carpet by Finance Minister Michael Noonan, County Clare Mayor Joe Arkins, various local dignitaries, and a freezing three-piece of musicians — who sang, fiddled and played the harp as Trump stepped down to the tarmac alongside his two sons, Ed and Donald Jnr, and daughter Ivanka.
(Youtube: TheJournal.ie)
The Trump circus is in town for next three days. In terms of his work schedule, the businessman says one of the main reasons he’s in Clare is to begin planning a new ballroom for the complex.
“A lot of people work in ballrooms — they generate a lot of taxes and they generate a lot of jobs.
One of the main reasons I’m here is siting the ballroom, but we’ll come back to you with an application for a truly great ballroom. I believe people from all over the world will be using this ballroom.
The 400-acre oceanside Doonbeg development — the Trump Organisation’s first golf course purchase in Ireland — has already been renamed as Trump International Hotel & Golf Links, Ireland.
His organisation had originally tried to buy the resort around four years ago – but the plans fell through. Trump swooped in with his chequebook at the start of this year, after receivers were appointed to Doonbeg’s previous owners – resort developers Kiawah Partners.
“The hotel is one of the finest hotels anywhere in the world.”
We’ll do fix-ups — but they really built something that is … that’s why I’ve been after it for four years. What took me so long?… I’m not kidding.
Locals in Doonbeg can look forward to seeing the Trump family in the area “a lot”, he said. He also pledged to work closely with the community on the redevelopment of the course: Clare County Council served a ‘stop work’ order on the resort earlier this year, after lorry-loads of rock armour were brought in to build flood defences.
That order has now been lifted after talks between course managers and local officials, and work to repair the holes damaged during the storms is under way.
Questions
Local environmental issues, and, in particular, the area’s famous snail, were favourite topics of reporters at this morning’s press conference at Shannon’s Gate 6.
Trump’s record as a climate change skeptic is well known (see below) — but if the tycoon was bugged by the line of questioning, he wasn’t giving anything away.
“The snail issue is an issue that will go on — and we’ll be very protective of it. We want to work together with certain environmental people — but they’ve been terrific, and as you know we’ve already got lots of approvals,” he told the first questioner.
But when the snail came up later in the conference, Trump seemed a little less effusive about the tiny gastropod, which is protected by strict environmental measures.
“You see — when they originally came they said that one snail is endemic to that one spot, it’s not anywhere else. Now they’ve found it’s all over — it’s all over the world.
So at one time it was a protected species but they found out, unfortunately after they had built the course, that it’s all up and down the coast and all over different parts of the world.
“It’s not what they thought it was, but nevertheless we’ll be working with them [the community] to do what’s proper.”
In terms of an overall investment, Trump mooted a figure of as much as €45 million. He said plans were in train to build extra hotel units at the complex, and suggested more investment could be attracted to the area as a result of the ‘Trump effect’.
“I bought it for — well, you know what the number is. I would say I’ll be doubling and tripling that number very quickly, to make it great.
It could be that other things happen because of it, and also other investment will be made in Ireland — because a lot of times, when I go to a community, I’ll make an investment and then I’ll make other investments in totally unrelated things because I’m here.
“It’s crazy… I’m mean I might see something that I like and all of a sudden I’m doing something else.”
Trump said he was also planning a helicopter service between his ‘triangle’ of Irish and Scottish golf resorts — ferrying high-rolling guests between Doonbeg, Aberdeen and his newly-acquired Turnberry links.
After fielding a few more general questions on his plans for the visit (he’ll be getting a round of golf in — no big surprise) and any possible Presidential plans for 2016 (he’s not giving anything away) the Trump family swept out of the room, and on to Doonbeg.
Before hitting the road — there was just time for a short, private chat with the Finance Minister, a more public grip-and-grin with airport management (‘it looks great!’) and a quick pause to pose for selfies with surprised travelers.
There is very little justification for entering into these public-private partnerships where the private company end up recouping their initial investment many times over within just a few years. They represent a poor deal for the State in terms of lost revenue. Surely borrowing the money would be more cost-effective?
@Sean: no brown envelopes that way
@Sean: Have a look at who’s invested in those private companies, that’s the reason right there. We’re being scammed.
@Sean: and have you evidence that they are recouping their investment ‘many times over’? The truth might surprise you.
@Aileen Lawlor: I’m not the one who made the claim. Let them produce the evidence.
All tolls charges should be scraped, we pay enough Taxes.
@Jimmy Pea: yes, let’s scrape those taxes.
Surely the revenue from the already paid for East link will cover a percentage of the proposed hike.
@The Bolt: Its been paid for many, many times over by now. That hike would be nice to get a ministers kids some PS5′s.
Every single penny of profit from tolls going into accounts setup and based in The Isle of Man as there would be absolute uproar if everyone was able to see the huge profits being made!
A classic case of the government upping prices with a flimsy excuse and without a backup plan for the public, forcing them to pay.
Clondalkin to Blanchardstown will take you 15-20 minutes by car on the M50, but well over an hour if you take public transport merely because there’s no direct route. Between 2 of the largest areas outside the M50 and 10k away from each other.
The toll bridges have been paid for many times over, and maintaining the roads isn’t going to be an arduous task with the heap of money currently being raked in.
“May”?? How about tell Eamonn Ryan to sort it out.
@Will Roche: he’d turn it into a bicycle lane
@Will Roche: Eamon told TII to do it
@Jonny Spuds: you’d be quicker getting from Bray to the Airport on the M50 on your bicycle most days…
There is no realistic and economic reason for an increase. Costs have not risen, there is no competition and they are already making huge profits. In fact the opposite should be the case, they should be handing money back to the government coffers
@BadBob: The contracts these PPP have is if the tolls don’t get a set amount of vehicles, passing through the government pay the PPP companies the difference.
But if the companies make a profit, the government doesn’t get a bean.
@BadBob: Are you living in the same country where prices are rising. I presume you mean none of the workers are getting paid any more since the last toll increase and on your planet, there is no construction/road maintenance inflation. I want to live where your fuel costs to move all this man and material does not exist. What world has competition for toll gate revenue- we already have different toll road operators. Maybe your world has no extra traffic congestion, car use and naturally road maintenance overheads. The cash for the eastlink already goes to DCC. The westlink funds pay the not insignificant ripoff price paid to take it public.
They don’t want to give with one hand and take with the other yet that’s what they have been doing for years so why stop now!
Why don’t the government call for fuel price reduction. Diesel in many areas €1.99 ltr yet I happened to get diesel at €1.80 ltr. Cost reduction not getting passed on and gouging by large forecourt operators going on
The result of the out-source-everything ideology of current parties in power. As with all other utilities, we are expected to pay for the cost of supply plus a hefty profit for one or other of the in crowd. When is the GE?
Only justification for M50 charge would be if they where actually building a secound level for more cars and a light rail system.
Can somebody in RTE please find the LLS interview in which Gay Byrne specifically asked (the week of the East Link Toll launch) how long we’d be paying. He was told that as soon as the cost of the bridge was paid (estimates suggested no more than ten years), the toll payment would be scrapped. That was a hell of a lot longer than ten years ago.
@Ernie Gallagher: Dublin City Council said they need the money so voted to retain the toll
Ye right.
Everyone who uses the road should pay, not just at a point you cross. If it goes to upgrading / maintaining the roads then put a 20c toll and relevant increase per vehicle, so at every bridge and capture all users, with a cap at the current price.
Ridiculous you only pay to use at a point. Get off before and drive around.
Can’t believe this government just keep hiking up prices and try to put a good face on it saying it’s. Ot the right time, like they are doing something positive by not letting hike happen just now.
Idiots.
@Rafa Condron: What the f. We have already paid for these roads and bridges you talk about. We are paying for their upkeep with every wage packet. This is about tolls from private companies making massive profits already and trying to make more…. Bull when they say it’s for increased upgrades, etc. That’s only a percentage of the money they make
@Rafa Condron: It’d cost you more to drive around.
We are all part of the rich man’s game of chess!! And we ain’t winning!
They’ll “call for them to be scrapped” and then they’ll say they tried when nobody listens
We are all part of the rich man’s chess game! And we ain’t winning!
have your say