Stormont ‘does not have £100 million sitting about to fund Casement Park’

The Stormont Executive does not have £100 million “sitting about” to bridge the funding shortfall over the Casement Park redevelopment, Emma Little-Pengelly has said.

The deputy First Minister told MLAs it was her understanding the GAA is not currently willing to put any additional funding towards the rebuild of the west Belfast stadium.

Plans for a 34,000-capacity stadium have been mired in uncertainty because of the major funding shortfall.

In the summer, the UK Government allocated £50 million to support the redevelopment of the currently derelict GAA venue.

While that added to around £120 million that has been pledged by the Stormont Executive, Irish government and GAA, it was still not enough to bridge the gap to cover the cost of the rebuild.

SDLP MLA Justin McNulty raised the issue at ministerial questions, stating people were “fed up” with years of delay.

The deputy First Minister said the delay was “never a political issue”.

She said money currently committed to the project is “not sufficient against the plans the GAA have”.

She said: “I understand the GAA are not willing at this point to put any additional money from their perspective into the project.

“That will leave a significant shortfall in relation to the aspiration and costs versus what is on the table, that is a challenge for people to look at, including the GAA.

“I look forward to seeing what the GAA proposals are in relation to that.”

Alliance Party MLA David Honeyford said there needed to be “cross-departmental leadership” to deliver the project.

Ms Little-Pengelly responded: “The project was not delayed by the Northern Ireland Executive, it was not delayed because of political disagreement, it was not delayed because of the DUP.

“There were lots of local issues in relation to planning and the costs of the project have increased significantly, leaving I think many people would assess to be well in excess of £100 million of a shortfall on that project.

“The Executive does not have £100 million sitting about for this specific project.

“There are many pressures within the system.”

She said the vast majority of capital funding likely to be available over the next 20 years was “already fully committed against a range of projects”.

The deputy First Minister said: “We have been actively looking to see how can we increase the amount of capital because of big, big issues.

“For example within NI Water, which is now holding back in terms of housing and economic development.

“These are big challenges and it is something the Executive needs to look at.

“In the case of this project there is a significant capital shortfall; that is a reality, it is not political posturing, it is not about people being difficult, it is just a reality and there is not a solution to that issue at this stage.”

Stormont ministers committed £62.5 million to Casement in 2011, as part of a strategy to revamp it along with football’s Windsor Park and the rugby ground at Ravenhill.

While the two other Belfast-based projects went ahead, the redevelopment of Casement was delayed for several years because of planning-based legal challenges by local residents.

The estimated build cost spiralled in the interim.

While planning permission has since been secured, the money committed to the rebuild is not currently enough to deliver it.

As well as the Stormont contribution of £62.5 million and the UK Government’s £50 million, the Irish government has offered around £42 million and the GAA has pledged to contribute at least £15 million.