UK Government to provide financial contribution of £50 million to rebuild Casement Park, confirms Chancellor Rachel Reeves
The UK Government has confirmed that it will provide a financial contribution of £50 million to rebuild Casement Park.
The update was provided as Chancellor Rachel Reeves set out the spending review at the House of Commons.
The UK government will agree the profile of funding with the Northern Ireland Executive to allow them to draw down funding within this spending review period.
Plans for a 34,000-capacity stadium had been mired in uncertainty because of a major funding gap of around £150 million.
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 build cost spiralled in the interim.
With planning approval finally granted four years ago, the project, now estimated to cost around £270 million, has latterly been held up over a dispute over funding.
In September last year, the UK Government ended hopes that the west Belfast venue would host Euro 2028 soccer games when it said it would not bridge the funding gap to deliver the reconstruction in time.
In addition to the £62.5 million committed by Stormont, the Irish Government has offered roughly £42 million while the GAA has pledged to contribute at least £15 million.
First Minister Michelle O’Neill welcomed the news, saying: “Casement Park is an Executive flagship project and is more than just a sporting venue — it will serve as an economic driver for the surrounding communities and region, creating jobs and attracting investment.
“Today's commitment of substantial funding from the British government marks an enormous step forward. It is time for all of us to pull together to now get Casement built."