DUP Minister: Onus on GAA to find funding if Government doesn't back Casement project
The Government is set to decide next week if it will contribute to the stadium's rebuild.
If it decides not to provide significant funding, Gordon Lyons said it will then be up to the GAA to make a decision on whether to progress with a revised and 'affordable' plan.
The Government is due to issue its latest Spending Review on June 11. There has been no indication yet whether it will commit any funding to the Casement project.
Mr Lyons said the £62.5m promised by Stormont for the new stadium 'still stands'.
'I've made it very, very clear as Sports Minister that I want to see more money for sports infrastructure in Northern Ireland,' he said.
'What we do need to do is make sure any additional funding for sport in Northern Ireland is done in a fair and equitable way.
'I think we had a fair and equitable basis for the funding of sport back in 2011 when the funding for Windsor and for Ravenhill and Casement was set out.
'I welcome additional funding for sport, but it should be done on a fair and on an equitable basis.'
Asked if the stadium rebuild would be 'dead in the water' should the Government refuse to add funding to that promised by Stormont and the Irish government on top of the £15m set aside by the GAA he replied: 'Ultimately it's up to the GAA, who are the lead on this project, to decide.
'There is £62.5m there. As I've said from the start, that funding stands. But as I've also said before, if they (the GAA) don't have the money they need to look at ways to make this more affordable.
'It would be incumbent on the GAA to look at the plans to see what it is they can afford, change those plans to suit the budget and work out how they want to proceed.'
Mr Lyons was speaking as he addressed concerns over his own budget in the Communities department at Stormont.
Plans for the 34,000-capacity stadium remain uncertain due to a major funding gap of around £150 million, with the overall cost of building the plans to an original design soaring to over £300m.
Secretary of State Hilary Benn pulled the plug on ambitions of hosting Euro 2028 at Casement last September, saying costs had 'risen dramatically'.
In addition to the £62.5 million committed by Stormont, the Irish Government has offered roughly £42 million on top of the GAA's own contribution.
Yesterday Finance Minister John O'Dowd said he believed the UK government is in "solution-finding mode" when it comes to achieving the redevelopment of Casement Park.
His upbeat assessment followed a meeting with Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones in London to discuss the Spending Review outcome.
"I think I had a constructive meeting with the Treasury today and we covered the aspects of Casement Park and how important it is that Casement Park is delivered," Mr O'Dowd said.
"The Irish Government have announced their funding. The GAA have announced their funding. The Executive has announced its funding.
"It's now time for the British Government to announce theirs.
"So, I think, in fairness to the Treasury, I am of the view that they're now in solution-finding mode. If they continue in that mode, then I believe we can have a successful outcome to this."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Glasgow Times
24 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Trinity College Dublin to divest from links with Israeli universities and firms
The board of the prestigious Dublin university, home to over 20,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students, made the decision to divest from Israeli links on Wednesday. Pro-Palestinian activists have called on other Irish universities to follow suit. 🇵🇸TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN JUST AGREED TO FULL DIVESTMENT FROM ISRAEL AND THE CUTTING OF ALL ACADEMIC TIES🇵🇸 — Jenny 🇵🇸 (@jennymaguir) June 4, 2025 Last May, students formed an encampment at Trinity in protest against a 214,285 euro fine imposed on the students' union after a series of demonstrations about fees and rent, and the university's ties to Israel. Following engagement with the protesters, the college dropped the fine and said it would complete a divestment from Israeli companies that have activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and appear on the UN blacklist. The students dismantled the camp after Trinity said it would 'endeavour' to divest in other Israeli companies, noting that its supplier list contains just one Israeli company which remained in place until March this year for contractual reasons. On Wednesday, Trinity's board received a report from a taskforce set up last October to examine academic and institutional links, including with Israel. Although the report is to return to the board later this year for its final consideration, based on 'the strength of the evidence shared', the board accepted the report's recommendations in relation to links with Israel. This included recommendations that the college enter into no Erasmus, collaborative research or supply agreements with Israeli universities, institutions or firms. The college has two current Erasmus+ exchange agreements, on an inbound basis only since September 2023, with Israeli universities: the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, which ends in July 2025, and Bar Ilan University, which ends in July 2026. The taskforce also found that the college is engaged in a number of EU-funded research consortia which include Israeli partners, and – although none of these were found to be breaching international humanitarian law or human rights – the taskforce said Trinity should not seek to participate in any new institutional research agreements involving Israeli participation. It also said that Trinity should look to 'align itself' with like-minded universities and bodies in an effort to influence EU policy concerning Israel's participation in such collaborations. The taskforce noted that Trinity had divested from Israeli companies on the UN blacklist and has no current supply contracts with Israeli companies. But it recommended that the college should fully divest from all companies headquartered in Israel and that it should not enter into any future supply contracts with Israeli firms. The taskforce accepted that the college's existing intellectual property-related contracts are acceptable as they are not collaborative, but said no new commercial relationships with Israeli entities should be set up. Chairwoman of the Irish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) Zoe Lawlor said the decision by Trinity was a 'landmark step in academic rejection of apartheid Israel's regime'. She called on more Irish universities to do the same and paid tribute to students, academics and staff who campaigned for this outcome. 'Trinity will now stand on the right side of history, as it did with South African apartheid in the past, but it is nevertheless disappointing that it took so long to get to this position,' she said. 'We echo the view of TCD Students' Union that it remains disappointing that Trinity has not withdrawn from ongoing projects involving Israeli partners who provide military technology and training that will run until 2029. 'Nonetheless, we celebrate each and every step towards de-normalising relations with the genocidal, apartheid state of Israel. We call on the Irish Government and the EU to pay heed to the changing climate, and to act to bring an end to all Irish state complicity with the apartheid regime.' The taskforce, chaired by former president of the High Court Mary Irvine, met on 14 occasions and received 77 submissions in total.
BBC News
26 minutes ago
- BBC News
Reid & Hewett begin French Open defence with win
French Open 2025Dates: 25 May-8 June Venue: Roland GarrosCoverage: Live radio commentaries across 5 Live Sport and BBC Sounds, plus live text commentaries on the BBC Sport website and app British wheelchair doubles pair Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid progressed to the semi-finals of the French Open as they began their pursuit of a sixth consecutive title at Roland duo beat Chile's Alexander Cataldo and Israel's Sergei Lysov 6-1 4-6 [10-4].Meanwhile, fellow Briton Andy Lapthorne beat Canada's Robert Shaw 7-5 7-5 in the men's quad wheelchair 34, has never won a singles title on the French clay, with his most recent Grand Slam final coming in Paris in will face Dutch top seed Niels Vink in the last seeds Hewett and Reid are scheduled to face each other in the semi-finals of the singles draw after they began their campaigns with dominant has won the French major three times, most recently in 2021, while Reid is a two-time pair are five-time defending doubles champions in Paris and will face Japan's Takuya Miki and American Casey Ratzlaff in the semis.
STV News
38 minutes ago
- STV News
Government 'won't change law' to introduce more drug consumption rooms
The UK Government has said it won't change the law to make it easier to set up safe drug consumption rooms like the one that opened in Glasgow earlier this year – even if it's a success. The Thistle facility in Glasgow is the first facility of its kind in the UK, aimed at bringing down Scotland's high number of drug deaths. It opened at the start of the year, and Scottish health secretary Neil Gray said initial evidence 'suggests the facility is proving successful'. The facility has been used more than 2,500 times since opening five and a half months ago. Gray told Westminster's Scottish Affairs Committee that the Scottish Ambulance Service has been called to the Hunter Street location seven times since January. He also said there have been 35 'medical emergencies' at the facility since it opened. Had those emergencies happened away from the facility, Gray said he believed the people involved in those medical emergencies would not have survived. However, despite what Gray sees as the Thistle's evidence of early success, UK Home Office minister Dame Diana Johnson said the law will not be changed to make it easier for other facilities like it to be opened. The Thistle facility was launched in Scotland following a decision by the Crown Office not to prosecute drug users, but there's uncertainty over its long-term legal status. The three-year pilot is only possible because the Lord Advocate has said prosecuting drug users who visit the site to inject isn't in the public interest. But under Westminster legislation, the facility still officially operates outside the law. On Wednesday, Scottish MPs were told that isn't going to change, despite reminding Johnson that it wasn't always what she believed. Asked if the Government could rethink that stance if the Thistle proves to be a success in driving down Scotland's high drug death rates, the minister said: 'We look at evidence, we have experts, we have the ACMD (advisory council on the misuse of drugs) who offer advice, we look at evidence all the time. 'But I just really want to be clear with you, we do not support drug consumption facilities, it's not our policy and we will not be amending the Misuse of Drugs Act.' Gray emphasised that he believes the Thistle is already saving lives, and the law should change, so other parts of the country can benefit. The Scottish Affairs Committee will publish its report on the Thistle later this year. MPs were promised that UK ministers will consider it carefully. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
