DUP's Sammy Wilson presses government on claims about Labour advisor Sue Gray's influence on Casement Park

The role of the Labour Chief of Staff – a former senior civil servant in both Whitehall and Stormont – has been under scrutiny since allegations emerged in The Times newspaper last week.

The newspaper carried a number of allegations about Ms Gray’s role in discussions over the beleaguered GAA stadium project, such as the claim she had angered ministers by “personally dominating” negotiations.

Number 10 officials said they “don’t recognise” the reporting in the newspaper and say that discussions about Casement Park remain ongoing and will follow the usual government processes.

The derelict west Belfast ground has been earmarked to host five matches at the Euro 2028 football tournament, which would vastly increase the cost and the specifications to which the long-delayed project would need to be built.

In the House of Commons on Wednesday, East Antrim MP Mr Wilson raised concerns over her alleged role.

Speaking to MPs, Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn had said: “The Government is committed to ensuring that Euro 2028 benefits the whole of the United Kingdom . We're working as quickly as possible with all partners to assess the options on the Casement Park project”.

But Mr Wilson said: “Many people were surprised when the Secretary of State made it his priority to deliver on Casement Park.

“Committing £3.20 million for a stadium to host five matches at a time when there are huge waiting lists to be dealt with in the health service, special needs education needs funding and social housing needs funding is an indefensible use of public money.

“Can the Secretary of State give us an assurance that the Government's view has not been influenced by any personal interventions by the chief of staff of the Labour Party, this is a personal project, and can he confirm that such an intervention would be a breach of public standards in public life?”

Mr Benn did not directly address the question.

He replied: “What I said was it's a priority because a decision needs to be made.

“The fact is the Government has inherited a commitment to hosting the Euros at Casement Park, it is now a year and three-quarters since Uefa awarded that right to Northern Ireland and to the United Kingdom and Ireland, nothing has happened during the year and three-quarters since then to progress the project.

“We're left with a situation where the cost has gone through the roof and we don't know even if you had the money whether you could build it in time and that is why the Government is looking at it, and that's why I said it was a priority to make a decision”.

TUV leader Jim Allister asked Mr Benn to explain to Northern Ireland's citizens waiting for healthcare why it “seems to be a priority” for the UK Government to “pour hundreds of millions of pounds into a GAA sports stadium instead of fixing our health service”.

The North Antrim MP added: “If the Government commits money and if the Euros do not come to Belfast, won't the Government be in the position where the rugby stadium, the football stadium didn't get a penny of Treasury or NIO money but GAA did?

“How can that be fair and how can that be proportionate?”

Mr Benn replied: “I hope very much that sport will be a force for unity in Northern Ireland rather than a source of division.”

He said Mr Allister had made a “very powerful” point on the health service and noted Northern Ireland has the longest waiting lists in the UK.

SDLP MP Claire Hanna sought assurances that Casement Park will be rebuilt.

The Belfast South and Mid Down MP said: “GAA fans in Northern Ireland, like Northern Ireland football fans awaiting some regional stadium funding, have been let down by a decade of Stormont dither, by sniping like we've just seen and by the last government - had they green-lit the project when they said they would, construction would have been well under way in time for the Euros”.

Mr Benn said he believes the failure to complete Casement Park is a result of “decisions the Executive has failed to take over many years”, adding: “The people of Northern Ireland want to have a better health service and that needs the plan which the new health minister is committed to”.