DUP minister Gordon Lyons reveals that £17m has been spent to date on the plan to rebuild Casement Park
Communities minister Gordon Lyons has said that some £17m has been spent so far on the plans to build a new Casement Park GAA stadium.
The DUP minister made the comments in a meeting of Stomont’s communities committee today, in response to a question from UUP MLA Andy Allen.
Asked how much has gone on the project to date, Mr Lyons said: “My understanding of the figure for Casement to date, if I am right – £17m.”
In December 2023, the Department for Communities had revealed that, by that stage, it had given just under £12m of grant funding to the Ulster Council of the GAA for the project.
In the same meeting today, Mr Lyons also denied that the GAA was operating in a “hostile environment”.
It came after comments from GAA president Jarlath Burns last week around the long-stalled redevelopment of Casement.
The west Belfast ground had been due to be redeveloped at the same time at the football ground Windsor Park and the rugby ground Ravenhill.
While the other two projects went ahead, the Casement proposal was delayed following legal challenges from local residents.
Mr Lyons was questioned on what he is doing to advance the redevelopment.
He outlined it is his responsibility to deliver £62.5 million which was originally agreed in 2011 when Windsor Park and Ravenhill also received funding.
He said it is for the GAA to come forward with proposals, but also revealed he is waiting to have a meeting with Secretary of State Hilary Benn to seek further clarity around funding for Casement and sport in Northern Ireland generally.
“We've had discussions with the GAA,” he told MLAs.
“We meet with the GAA once a month, at least once a month, at official level, and although it still remains the responsibility of the GAA to come forward with their proposals, and I've said many times that the commitment is still there is £62.5m.
“I've been asked to and I've agreed to write to the secretary of state to ask for more information. I received a response, there was no more information forthcoming from him, and so on this and a number of other critical issues for the department, I have asked to meet the secretary of state to tease out where we are in terms of UK government funding for sport in Northern Ireland including Casement Park.”
Committee deputy chairwoman Nicola Brogan put to Mr Lyons a comment by Mr Burns that they are operating in a “hostile environment”.
Mr Lyons said he would not agree with that characterisation.
“I can understand his frustration,” the minister said. “I can understand why after 14 years of no action being taken that he is frustrated, but there is certainly not a hostile environment that I'm presiding over within this department...
“When he has requested to meet with me, I have met with him...
"It can be very easy sometimes to blame politicians. It's very easy to blame a unionist minister but that simply doesn't match up with the reality of what we have been doing in the department."