Casement Park funding off agenda at NI Executive until after election

Casement Park GAA stadium. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Gordon Lyons said there was no fresh update on the proposed plans for the sports stadium following reports it could be axed by Uefa from the list of Euro 2028 host venues.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak insisted the government would make a “substantial contribution” to the redevelopment last month, but refused to say how much or if it will happen in time for the Euros.

Put to him at the NI Assembly on Tuesday that the plans were “a once-in-a-generation opportunity that must be seized”, Mr Lyons said: “(The situation) has not changed since the last time we discussed it in this chamber.

Labour MP for Leeds Central and Shadow NI Secretary, Hilary Benn. PA Images

“Casement Park re-development in its current form does not have the funding package together.“We don’t have that commitment from the UK Government and that’s what’s holding up any progression on that issue and I expect to get further information on that when a new government is in post.”

Mr Lyons added he wanted to roll out the £36.2 million Northern Ireland Football Fund, announced last month, as quickly as possible.

Hopes that a new Labour government would act quickly to fund the Casement Park rebuild project have been further dashed by Hilary Benn.

Following a Labour Party statement last week that stopped well short of any commitment to allocate the necessary cash, the Shadow NI Secretary has now said there will be “no blank cheque” if his party forms a government after the July 4 General Election.

The latest suggested cost of building the new stadium has risen to more than £300 million – up from the original estimate of £77.5m.

Speaking to the BBC, Good Morning Ulster programme on Tuesday, Mr Benn said: "The cost has gone from the original figure of £77.5m to now potentially over £300m, which is a huge increase.

"The question is, where is the rest of the very considerably increased amount of money that will be required.

"I can’t give a blank cheque and you wouldn’t expect me to given the huge rise in the costs there have been and we don’t yet know what the full sum is.”

Mr Benn added: "What I do commit to do is to sit down urgently with all of the parties and say – there’s a responsibility on the UK government to make a contribution – but can the other parties contribute more and where that leaves you in relation to the total overall cost."

On the same programme, former senior Uefa strategist Ian Mallon said he "understands absolutely that Northern Ireland will be rubbed from the roster of Uefa Euro 2028.

"The planning is going on without Northern Ireland," he said.

"It’s such a huge problem and such a huge disappointment for Northern Ireland."

Mr Mallon said his information had come from someone “very senior” involved in organising the tournament.