Allister criticises public funding for Casement GAA 'money spinner'

The TUV leader asked the communities minister whether anyone other than the GAA will “have any residual interest, including profits from commercial use, on completion of the Casement Park project”.

Mr Lyons responded saying the “commercial management and operation of Casement Park will be the sole responsibility of the GAA on completion of the Casement Park project”.

Mr Allister said it was an “appalling answer” which makes clear Casement will be GAA money spinner for generations – with no recovery of costs by taxpayers.

He said: “Quite apart from the exorbitant cost to the taxpayer of providing the Casement Park project, one of the key issues going forward for generations to come is who gets the financial reward of the use of Casement when it is not being used by the GAA? When it is being used for example for concerts and other money spinning events who gets the profits given that this is a publicly funded facility?

“I asked that question of the DUP Communities Minister, Gordon Lyons, and I am quite appalled by the answer I got today which confirms that although the public purse will essentially fund this project, in its future use all the profits will return to the GAA.

"This is public money in the main producing a project which will have a money spinning effect for the GAA, as we saw when they hosted the Gareth Brooks concerts at Croke Park they brought in €7.6 million. If the like was to happen at Casement, all the money would go not into the public purse where most of the money to build the stadium came but into the coffers of already rich GAA.

"What sort of a Minister thinks that is appropriate? Why doesn’t he put as a condition on any funding a contractual obligation that when Casement is being used for non-GAA proposes where there is commensal income then it is clawed back to the public purse? That’s elementary yet it seems this DUP Minister has no interest in pursuing that. So Casement Park is a project which will not only cost us hugely but into years and generations to come its going to be a huge money spinner for the GAA and no one else.”