Casement Park funding to wait until Stormont funds priorities, says minister

Communities minister Gordon Lyons said Stormont should fund agreed priorities such as social housing before approving extra money for Casement Park; the GAA says work will begin next week but full Stormont funding has not been agreed.

Communities minister Gordon Lyons said Stormont must fund its agreed priorities before providing additional money for projects such as Casement Park. His remarks followed the GAA's confirmation that work is due to begin next week on the west Belfast stadium plans. The redevelopment has faced years of delays and rising construction costs, and questions remain about the total funding required. A draft multi-year budget proposes an inflationary increase for Casement Park but that proposal has not been agreed by other ministers in the Executive. Key facts: - Gordon Lyons said a previous Stormont funding pledge "still stands" but any increase "needs to be agreed collectively." - The Northern Ireland Executive originally set aside £62.5m for Casement Park in 2011; a draft budget published by Finance Minister John O'Dowd proposed an inflationary increase to more than £100m. - The GAA has allocated £15m and the article reports pledged funding of about £50m from the UK government and £42m from the Irish government; reported estimates of overall costs have risen, with a reported figure around £270m described by the GAA as "closer" to its assumptions. - Lyons said the full funding "is not there in totality" and called it "impossible" for the stadium to be completed by 2027 unless additional decisions are made. - The GAA confirmed work on the redevelopment is due to start next week in west Belfast. Summary: Stormont ministers have not reached collective agreement on increased funding for Casement Park, leaving the project's full financing unresolved. The GAA plans to start work next week, while Communities Minister Gordon Lyons said further Stormont contributions would follow agreed priorities such as social housing. Timing for full completion and the total agreed public funding remain undetermined at this time.