Editorial: The GAA commissioned report on the value of Casement should be treated with caution, yet wasn't by the BBC

​​Last night the BBC NI website was leading on a story that we have in this newspaper – that an analysis says that hosting the Euro 2028 games in Northern Ireland could be worth £106 million to the local economy.

While the BBC report did mention in the second line that the report by accountants was commissioned by the GAA it did not contain any of the scepticism of the finding that we report. Not a word of scepticism in a 1,000 word report from the national broadcaster, in which the Sinn Fein economy minister Deidre Hargey and the GAA chief executive Brian McAvoy were quoted urging funding for the scheme.

But while the accountancy firm that made the report is a highly respected one, the conclusions that politicians and the GAA draw from it must be scrutinised in light of the outrageous demands that are being made of the UK taxpayer. At a time of major funding shortages for public services in Northern Ireland, in part caused by a Stormont tendency to refuse any efficiencies in any areas of government expenditure, we have been told that the GAA stadium at Casement might cost £300 million. It was not clear what the outgoing secretary of state Chris Heaton-Harris’s view was on such a bill. He did say there was no blank cheque, after foolishly suggesting a year ago that there was. Gordon Lyons, the communities minister, has called for clarity. It would be helpful if he made clear that such a massive windfall for the GAA will be resisted by at least some Stormont parties.

The IFA is reported to have joined the GAA in denouncing the “delay in confirmation of funding from the UK Treasury for Casement ”.

The IFA ought to understand the view that the GAA ​​should only get the £62 million pledged for Casement in 2011, uprated for inflation – £90 million. That is a generous sum. The rest should be funded by the wealthy GAA, and by Dublin if it feels a blank cheque is appropriate.