Shane Cassells (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Following the big announcement yesterday that Ireland will co-host the UEFA 2028 championships we need to immediately begin discussions on who will fund Casement Park in Belfast. Already the rows and wrangling are starting up North, which is depressing. I join my colleague Justin McNulty, MLA in his calls for this to end, for the positivity of yesterday's announcement to be embraced and for a decision to be made swiftly on the funding mechanism.

Everyone is making the right mood music noises. I have heard the Taoiseach say that the Irish Government will play its part. Others have said they will play their part. Ultimately there will be a bill of £100 million for the construction of the stadium and it will need to be met. Otherwise we will not achieve the all-Ireland tournament in which we want to participate. It is depressing to see members of the Traditional Unionist Voice state it is nothing to do with it, that public money should not be used and that the GAA is well fit to pay for its own grounds. We see the Northern Ireland supporters' club using this as a debating point to try to extract money because Windsor Park will not be used and to have the same amount of money allocated to it. Instead of being a good news story this has the potential to spiral out of control into a bad one. From our perspective, and the Taoiseach and Tánaiste have both said the Irish Government will play its role, we need definitive statements from all sides on what it will mean in pounds, shillings and pence.