Irish Government ‘willing to consider helping further’ on Casement, Harris says

The Irish Government is “willing to consider helping further” with the development of Casement Park, deputy premier Simon Harris has said.

It comes after a UK Government pledge of £50 million for the development of the west Belfast GAA stadium was included in Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ spending review.

However, that pledge still leaves the project far from its funding target under current plans.

Mr Harris said it is up to the Northern Ireland Executive to decide how to proceed but said the Irish Government would be “very helpful” in getting the stadium built.

Plans for a 34,000-capacity stadium at the site have been mired in uncertainty because of a major funding gap.

Stormont ministers committed £62.5 million to Casement in 2011, as part of a strategy to revamp it along with football’s Windsor Park and the rugby ground at Ravenhill.

While the two other Belfast-based projects went ahead, the redevelopment of Casement was delayed for several years because of legal challenges by local residents.

The estimated cost spiralled in the interim.

Last September the UK Government ended hopes that the west Belfast venue would host Euro 2028 games, when it said it would not bridge a funding gap to deliver the redevelopment in time.

As well as the Stormont contribution of £62.5 million, the Irish Government has offered 50 million euro (roughly £42 million) and the GAA has pledged to contribute at least £15 million.

It has been reported that the cost of the project has fallen to £270 million since it was confirmed the ground would not host Euros matches.

Under current plans and including the £50 million from Wednesday’s announcement along with the other commitments, the funding shortfall stands at roughly £100 million.

Asked on Friday whether the Irish Government would give an increased contribution, Mr Harris said: “We’re certainly willing to consider helping further, but I should say the Irish Government has already made a very significant willingness to contribute in relation to Casement.

“I welcome the fact that the British Government has joined us in that effort this week, as of course has the GAA.

“The Northern Ireland Executive – and I would have made this point to the First and deputy First Minister today – they obviously now need to decide how they wish to pursue and of course, the Irish Government will want to be very helpful in getting this built.”

He told RTE’s News At One radio programme: “This is really, really, really important for the provision of sports facilities, and we will continue to engage constructively.”

Speaking at the British Irish Council in Northern Ireland, Taoiseach Micheal Martin said Ireland had already made an “unprecedented contribution” to the project through the Shared Island Fund.

He added a “realistic” framework for the project was needed.

“Now is the time really to try and reach an agreement in terms of how we proceed with the stadium, having a realistic sort of sense of the framework that would govern the construction of the stadium here because it’s been idle for far too long, and I think there’s an opportunity now to get a stadium built.”

Meanwhile, DUP MLA Sammy Wilson accused Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn of “clear bias” by allocating money to the GAA rather than providing “equal treatment of all sports”.

Mr Wilson added: “And in doing so, imposing on the Northern Ireland Executive to find a further £100m to £150m on top of what is already allocated to GAA.”