Editorial: ​Dublin and GAA allowed to evade  Casement demand

​The ever polite Hilary Benn did not on BBC Radio Ulster yesterday say that the GAA should pay more for Casement.

​The Northern Ireland Secretary was asked whether he felt that the Gaelic sporting authorities should contribute more to the huge project.

While Mr Benn did not address the matter exactly of the GAA’s financial contribution (still sitting at a paltry £15 million), he did say: “Well, there are simply two choices. Either the design is changed so that the stadium can be built with the amount of money that is now available, or other funds come forward.”

Mr Benn then did point out that it is an “executive project” (ie Stormont) so he was subtly adding to the pressure on the Communities Minister, Gordon Lyons. This comes after Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill, who styles herself a first minister for all while lauding past IRA terrorists, had the nerve to call for Mr Lyons to quit over comments he made in relation the terrible disorder.

It is pretty clear where things are going. The SDLP was first off the mark after the UK government pledged yet another £50 million towards the Casement project, bringing the total cost to UK taxpayers to more than £100 million at a time of huge national financial constraints.

The SDLP called on Stormont to increase its contribution significantly.

The GAA has been allowed to escape all pressure in this matter, so well described by our columnist Owen Polley on Monday as another nationalist grievance.

Meanwhile, an Ireland that has the nerve to sue the UK on legacy for a shelved conditional amnesty when Ireland operates a flagrant de facto amnesty for IRA terrorists is also allowed to escape pressure. It meddles and interferes and scolds and even sues the UK, yet Mr Benn can’t so much as say they should pay more if the stadium means so much to nationalist Ireland.