Parties clash at Belfast City Hall over government decision not to fund Casement Park for Euros
Political parties have clashed at Belfast City Hall over the British government’s announcement it will not be providing funding to redevelop the Casement Park GAA stadium in time for the 2028 Euros tournament.
There were hot exchanges between nationalist and unionist parties as well as between nationalist parties as the chamber agreed without full support to write to Hilary Benn, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer, to urge the British Government to fulfil its previous commitment to Casement Park.
A Sinn Féin motion was passed on a show of hands at a special meeting of the full Belfast City Council on Wednesday evening, but without support from the unionist parties.
The motion also urges the council to write to Irish Taoiseach Simon Harris along with the relevant Executive Ministers at the NI Assembly requesting that all parties involved come together to fulfil the commitment to delivering Casement Park.
The motion states: “This council expresses deep disappointment that the British Government has failed to honour its commitment regarding the Euro 2028 bid for Belfast, particularly the investment in Casement Park, a catalyst project for economic regeneration in West Belfast.
“The involvement of Belfast in the Euro 2028 bid presented us with a once in a generation opportunity to showcase the very best of Belfast to an international audience with the economic benefits being felt across a range of industries in the city and beyond. Casement Park must now be delivered regardless of the outcome of the Euro 2028 bid, as it still represents a vital investment in the city’s infrastructure and community.”
Sinn Féin Councillor Ciaran Beattie, who proposed the motion, said: “The biggest losers are the people of Belfast. Not only the GAA fraternity, but also the soccer fraternity, it’s the people who live in this city, the taxis, the businesses, the bars, the restaurants, the hoteliers, all of those who would have benefitted massively from bringing the Euros to Belfast.”
He slated other parties representing West Belfast, accusing People Before Profit of calling Casement “a vanity project” before supporting it, and accusing the SDLP of protesting against it outside SInn Féin offices before eventually supporting it.
He said: “The same people talk about poverty, deprivation and no opportunities all the time, yet when there are opportunities they protest against it for their own self-gain. But that is not lost on the GAA fraternity, it is not lost on the people of West Belfast.”
SDLP Councillor Paul Doherty said: “It is extremely disappointing that it seems some people were happy at this decision, simply because they didn’t want to see the stadium being built for the Euros in West Belfast. I struggle to find words for that. And people looking in on this place have no words for that either.”
Alliance Councillor David Bell said: “It could have done more for community relations and breaking down barriers than anything we could have ever legislated for. The prospect of diverse communities coming together in West Belfast for a major sporting event was a vision of progress that we should not easily abandon.
“We are deeply concerned about the message this sends to potential investors. For our economy, it is an embarrassment on the world stage.
DUP Councillor Sarah Bunting said: “After years of planning delays, legal challenges from residents who lived closest to Casement, and the GAA sitting on their hands and letting Casement fall into even worse disrepair, the UK governments now estimates it would cost somewhere in the region of £400 million to deliver Casement to Euros standard. More than five times the original cost, with the GAA still only offering £15 million.
“That was never going to be seen as a financially viable project in a time of constrained budgets and cuts being made by the Labour government to things that affect all our constituents, like the pensioner’s winter fuel allowance. Our constituents are all struggling.
“Casement Park should now be built to the standard to host GAA games, and if the UK government agrees to allocate funding towards Casement Park, then there must be a fair and equitable allocation of funding towards football and rugby.”
DUP Alderman Dean McCullough said: “It is quite clear there is no agreement between Sinn Féin, the SDLP and People Before Profit, the parties that purport to represent West Belfast. That in itself is an indication of part of the failure.”
He said: “Sinn Féin needs to tell us, and those who face years of ongoing ill-health and worry on waiting lists, those homeless and in severe housing stress, and those in schools that are not up to standard their priorities – is it Casement Park or health? Is it Casement park or is it housing? Is it Casement park or is it education?”
TUV Councillor Ron McDowell said: “Something else the GAA has to do before they can be taken seriously by any unionist in this city, is to get their house in order. They are a public relations disaster. They don’t propagate inclusivity, and they don’t bring in all the citizens of Northern Ireland.”
He put it to the DUP for their minister Gordon Lyons at the Department for Communities to withdraw a £65 million offer of funding for Casement Park.
In a vote of hands, 31 elected representatives supported the Sinn Féin motion, and 15 voted against.