Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputy. In February of last year the Government agreed to a range of funding allocations of more than €800 million to affirm its commitment to work with the Northern Ireland Executive and with the UK Government to make cross-Border investments that will make the island of Ireland a better place for all of us who call it home to live. This is evidence of course of our commitment to Strand 2 of the Good Friday Agreement and of North-South co-operation. It is the largest ever package of Government funding for cross-Border investments.

As part of this wider set of commitments, the Government announced a commitment of €50 million through the Shared Island Fund to contribute to construction of a redeveloped Casement Park in Belfast. This is both a North-South and an east-west project. It is the Government's wish that the ground will be made available to a wide range of sporting and cultural events.

Consistent with the Government's on funding for large scale sports infrastructure, principles for funding of the project will be agreed such that it is accessible to and will benefit a range of sports, and is operated to facilitate equality, diversity and inclusion in sport, including supporting cross-community relationships in Northern Ireland and throughout the island.

I welcome the UK Government’s recent funding commitment of £50 million, as part of the UK Chancellor's spending review, for redevelopment of Casement Park. I have met, as has the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, with the GAA recently to discuss how the project can move forward without further delay.

The Government and the UK Government have each made significant funding commitments to support the delivery of a redeveloped Casement Park. It is now for the Executive and the GAA to confirm their respective funding commitments for the project, which each date back to 2013, and to define the overall funding package available that will allow redevelopment to proceed. I am hopeful that this total amount would then be sufficient to see the project move ahead without delay. The Government will continue to engage positively with all stakeholders to encourage that outcome.

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