Scaling back Casement 'a vindication of our position' says UUP as TUV man calls for stadium site to be turned into houses
The UUP has said that the reports of the GAA downsizing their plans for Casement are a vindication of the party’s stance.
Meanwhile the TUV’s councillor Ron McDowell said that “enough is enough”, and the whole idea of a stadium should be abandoned in favour of building houses on the site instead.
Last Friday, BBC Northern Ireland reported that it understands “the GAA looks set to scale back its plans to redevelop Casement Park” to well below the 34,000-capacity it had previously aimed for, having effectively resigned itself to the fact that no more public money was coming to fund construction.
The whole story dates back to 2011, when the NI government announced it would give cash to three major sporting outfits: £61.4m to the IFA, £61.4m to the GAA, and £15m to the IRFU.
The IRFU and IFA spent theirs on new stadiums, but the GAA’s Casement plan never got off the ground.
It is not clear how much the current estimate for building the stadium is, but it has been reported to be as high as £400m – with the GAA committed only to finding £15m.
Reacting to the news that the GAA may now be settling for less, the UUP issued a statement saying: “If reports are accurate, they reflect a position that the Ulster Unionist Party has consistently presented.
“Our position has always been that the Executive’s original commitment under the Regional Stadia Programme should be honoured.
"However, if the project could not be delivered within that level of funding, it should be redesigned to reflect the funding available rather than continually seeking additional money from the taxpayer.
“That was the point we made in January 2021 when we said the GAA needed to ‘cut its cloth to fit its budget’, and it remains our position today."
The News Letter has sought to confirm the BBC report of a reduced Casement plan, but the GAA had not responded at time of writing.
Councillor McDowell meanwhile told the BBC today: “There are no winners in this – absolutely no winners in this.
"I think perhaps now enough is enough.
"Let’s redevelop Casement Park the easiest way we can – let’s put residential homes on it, a mixed-use development.
"I’m absolutely serious. £20m [has been spent to date on planning] and we’ve nothing to show for it.
"Do we spend another £20m to get to the same stage we’re at for a stadium that all the contributors so far on the show this morning have said is going to be sub-standard and disappointing?
"Enough is enough.”