No Casement Park funding move until after UK election

Northern Ireland Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris has said that an announcement on funding for Casement Park in Belfast will be made after the UK general election on 4 July.

Asked about whether the current government is reneging on its commitment to fund the redevelopment of the stadium, Mr Heaton-Harris said: “I think you’ll find that there’ll be an announcement almost certainly by the new government on this in the future, which will suggest the premise of your question might not be correct.”

Northern Ireland’s deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said: “There have been a number of discussions and, as indicated, it is likely that this issue will be touched on again after the general election, but we’re not anticipating any news prior to the general election certainly on it.

“I’m privy to some of those discussions with the UK government, Chris Heaton-Harris would be more privy to some of that than I would be,” she added.

The two ministers were speaking at a meeting of the British-Irish Council on the Isle of Man.

The comments come amid mounting speculation that Casement Park is set to be axed as a venue for the European Football Championship in 2028.

The money required to redevelop the stadium in time for the tournament is not in place.

Earlier this week, Taoiseach Simon Harris made clear that Irish Government funding for the venue is guaranteed regardless of whether it hosts matches during Euro 2028.

The derelict ground, in west Belfast, is due to stage five games as part of the joint hosting by Ireland and the UK of the showpiece tournament.

Ulster GAA and the Irish Football Association recently wrote to the British Prime Minister asking his government to bridge the funding gap.

On a recent visit to Belfast, Rishi Sunak insisted that his administration would make a “substantial contribution” to the redevelopment but refused to say how much or if it would happen in time for Euro 2028.

Mr Sunak said that a funding decision will not come until after the UK general election and Labour’s Northern Ireland Spokesman Hilary Benn warned that his party will not offer a blank cheque to the project if it comes to power after 4 July.

There have been reports that the projected costs of the rebuild could soar as high as £308 million (€365m) in a worst-case scenario.

‘Unthinkable’ for North not to co-host Euros – Sinn Féin minister

Stormont junior minister Aisling Reilly said it would be “unthinkable” for Northern Ireland to miss out on the chance of co-hosting Euro 2028.

“There’s actually not very many people who have had the opportunity to play on Casement Park,” the Sinn Féin member said.

“I am one of those people who have had the opportunity to play in Casement Park on a number of occasions.

“I know what it feels like to walk down the tunnel and to play on the pitch and the opportunities that that has afforded me. Unfortunately, a decade of people have missed out on that opportunity.

“But it’s not about the sport. It’s about the legacy of what it will bring. It’s about what it’s going to do for the economy, what it’s going to do for local businesses, what it’s going to do for Belfast, for the North.

“It’s unthinkable that we would miss out on the opportunity to host the Euros, particularly when we’re seeing it being played on our screens now in Germany and we see the buzz around Germany.

“Imagine seeing that in Belfast, imagine seeing that in the North and the opportunities that that would afford us. So for me not having Casement built is unthinkable.”