Casement Park GAA stadium: Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announces €50 million towards controversial stadium intended for UEFA Euro 2028 tournament

The announcement was made today by Irish premier Leo Varadkar as part of a package of over £685m (€800m) for Shared Island investment priorities including upgrading the A5 road in Northern Ireland.

However, the announcement does not yet bring certainty to the new stadium going ahead.

Several weeks ago Secretary of State Chris Heaton Harris said that if the costs remained as originally estimated it was "completely deliverable" but that if they go "exponentially out of control" it would be "a completely different matter".

The redevelopment has been hit by rising costs, with an original projected price tag of £77.5mn now believed to have spiralled well above £100m - some even suggesting as much as £200m.

Casement is being built to host soccer matches in the UEFA Euro 2028 tournament. However it would need to be completed well in advance to be approved as a venue.

Northern Ireland football fans have widely protested that the investment in a GAA stadium for the competition in a strongly nationalist area of west Belfast is grossly unfair to local soccer.

Sinn Fein counters that the project is a flagship Executive and New Decade New Approach commitment and that both the Irish and British governments and the GAA have committed to the funding.

Making today’s announcements, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said: “The return of the power-sharing Executive is hugely important for the people of Northern Ireland and has brought renewed hope for what can be achieved through the Good Friday Agreement. The funding announced today shows our commitment to working with the new Executive, and with the UK Government, to make the island of Ireland a better place for everyone who calls it home.

“At approximately €1 billion, it is the largest ever package of Government funding for cross-border investments. Construction of the new A5 could start later this year which will bring road connectivity to the North-West on a par with other parts of the island.

The redevelopment of Casement Park stadium in Belfast will help maximise the benefit for Northern Ireland of hosting games in the UEFA EURO2028 championship which is a major East-West project. We also agreed today a major regeneration of the Battle of the Boyne site, including an allocation of €10 million from the Shared Island Fund. Investment in an hourly service on the Enterprise will greatly assist the development of business and person to person links between Dublin and Belfast as well as all the towns on the way.

“This funding is about all-island investment, boosting the all-island economy and improving connections North and South, benefiting both jurisdictions and all communities. It is about understanding that, whatever the constitutional future of Ireland brings, investing in people, in quality of life, in opportunity, and for the generations to come, are all of our responsibilities and a common good we can best progress by working together.”

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin added: “With the major contribution to the redevelopment of Casement Park, a new Shared Island education programme, and a Shared Island Enterprise Scheme, the Government looks forward to working with the new Executive and the UK Government on maximising the impact of our investment to benefit people across the island."

Gary McAllister, Chairman of the Amalgamation of Official Northern Ireland Supporters Clubs, told the News Letter on Monday that many questions about the cost of the project remain unanswered.

"There remain many questions about the updated cost and delivery of the redevelopment of Casement Park,” he said.

These include the need to find a replacement contractor after the approved builder withdrew, he said, as well as the “actual cost” of the project and how that will be funded.

"It would be helpful if the Department for Communities were to release a proper, detailed update on the Casement Park project, including details of the department's most recent 'Gateway Review', the actual costings for the project and the timeline in terms of the appointment of a contractor.

"Once those details are known, we believe that there should be a full and proper discussion around funding for sport before any decisions are made.”

Mr McAllister added that NI football has waited for more than a decade for the second tranche of investment that it was promised, adding that it is “essential” that football is treated “fairly and equitably” on funding decisions.

Last week Stormont's Minister for Communities revealed that a "considerable amount" of money needed to be found to complete the redevelopment.

The BBC asked Gordon Lyons if the costs could now exceed £200m. "The number isn't finalised but even if it was … for commercial reasons I can't go into the details of what that might be," he replied.

TUV deputy leader Ron McDowell said an estimated cost of £200 million was "unjustifiable" when Stormont is struggling to fund frontline services.