Casement Park funding plans shelved until after General Election – Gordon Lyons

Any potential funding plans for the re-development of Casement Park won’t be decided until after the General Election, the communities minister has said.

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 of Casement Park last month, but refused to say how much or if it will happen in time for the competition.

Put to him at the Northern Ireland 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.

“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.

Earlier on Tuesday, Labour’s shadow Northern Ireland secretary Hilary Benn said the party would not “give a blank cheque” to the redevelopment.

“The question is, where is the rest of the very considerably increased amount of money that will be required,” Mr Benn told BBC Radio Ulster.

“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.”