UK govt urged to 'stop dithering' over Casement Park funding

Sinn Féin has urged the UK government to "stop dithering" and "fulfil its pledge" to help fund the rebuilding of Casement Park.

The former GAA ground in west Belfast has been closed for over a decade amid delays to regeneration plans.

The Stormont Executive committed to redeveloping Casement Park in 2011, as part of a strategy to revamp 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 because of legal challenges by local residents.

A proposal to rebuild Casement as a venue for the Euro 2028 games collapsed last year when the UK government said it would not bridge a funding gap to deliver the project in time.

It said the risk to the public purse of missing the tournament deadline was too high and expressed concerns about how the cost of the project had potentially risen to more than £400 million.

Sinn Féin vice president Michelle O'Neill along with Senator Conor Murphy and West Belfast MP Paul Maskey met with a delegation from the GAA at Stormont on Tuesday.

The delegation included GAA President Jarlath Burns as well as senior figures from Ulster GAA.

Speaking afterwards, Mr Murphy said Sinn Féin reaffirmed its "full support for the transformative rebuild of Casement Park".

He said while the Executive, GAA and the Irish Government have set out their contributions to fund the building of the stadium, the onus is now on the UK government to do the same.

He said the rebuild has "huge potential to create jobs, boost tourism and be an economic driver for west Belfast and further afield".

"For too long, the British government and the Communities Minister have dragged their heels and failed in their commitment to help fund Casement