GAA should pay more towards Casement Park redevelopment, says Gordon Lyons

The GAA should be expected to contribute more than its original pledge towards the redevelopment of Casement Park, according to Communities Minister Gordon Lyons. The minister stated that any decision for Stormont to increase its spend on the project would need to be made by the Executive and balanced against other demands.

This follows reports that the cost of developing the Casement Park stadium has fallen to £270 million, after plans to host Euro 2028 games there were scrapped and the design modified.

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In September, the UK Government dashed hopes of the venue hosting Euros games when it refused to bridge a funding gap to deliver the redevelopment in time, citing high risk to the public purse if the tournament deadline was missed.

The Government also raised concerns about the potential rise in the project's cost to over £400 million. The Stormont Executive had committed to redevelop Casement Park in 2011, as part of a strategy to revamp football’s Windsor Park and the rugby ground at Ravenhill.

However, while the two other Belfast-based projects proceeded, Casement's redevelopment was delayed due to legal challenges from local residents. The Stormont Executive then pledged £62.5 million to the Casement project, with the GAA promising to contribute £15 million.

The Irish Government has offered approximately £42 million and confirmed this funding remains in place even without the stadium being built for the Euros.

The BBC has reported that the revised cost of developing the stadium is now £270 million, leaving a funding shortfall of about £150 million. Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn told a Westminster committee on Tuesday that he was not in a position to say if the UK Government would make a financial contribution.

During an appearance on the BBC Nolan Show, Mr Lyons was asked if he recognised the £270 million figure. He said: "There are a number of figures out there depending on what the requirements would be and what Casement is to look like in the future."

"We know because the Euros are no longer coming to Northern Ireland that means that the costs will have reduced because we won’t need all of the additional stuff that we would have needed in order to host games."

"As well as that, we don’t have that time pressure, which is what was increasing the cost because we needed to have it completed at a certain time."

"We will be very up front with people, there is still a gap there."

He was asked if his department would increase its original commitment of £62.5 million.

He said: "We had made a commitment back in 2011. We absolutely stand by that commitment."

"Ultimately, if there is any additional resource to be allocated, there are many other competing demands within sport as well and that will need to be done on a fair and an equitable basis."

"But I still think we need to tease out what is required and what is reasonable."

Mr Lyons stated: "I have been allocated a sum from previous Executive agreements. I am not in a position to allocate additional resource, that would be a decision for the Executive and there would be other competing demands."

On whether the GAA should contribute more financially, he expressed: "I think that the original contribution of £15 million should be looked at again by the GAA."

He added, "I think it is reasonable for that to be looked at."

Elaborating on this point, he said, "If there is an additional contribution being looked from elsewhere, if the GAA are looking for a stadium that will require more than the resource that is currently there, I think it is right that additional resource comes from the GAA also."

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