Shannon Development has strongly defended the proposed golf-led development at Doonbeg, Co Clare, citing a survey of 1,200 local residents which found 98 per cent of them supported the scheme.
A spokesman for Shannon Development also denied it would pre-empt local people building new houses in the area because of doubts about the capacity of local sewerage to cope with additional burdens.
"Our understanding is that the sewerage is already at full capacity and would need to be upgraded even if the scheme doesn't go ahead. Indeed, Clare County Council see it as a way to lever additional capacity."
This could be done by imposing a planning condition requiring the developers, Landmark National, to make a substantial financial contribution towards the cost of upgrading the sewerage to cater for its scheme.
The Shannon Development spokesman said he had seen a golf links course which Landmark had developed on a dune system in South Carolina. "Even the local environmental interests were very positive about its benefits."
He said Landmark was "equally committed to doing the same at Doonbeg" by managing a dune system which had been degraded over the years by dumping and the removal of large quantities of sand. "Obviously, it's a trade-off."