Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Casement Park: Redevelopment

Wednesday 24 July 2024 · 5 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Government committed to ensuring Euro 2028 benefits the entire United Kingdom
  • Government inherited a commitment to hosting the Euros at Casement Park from UEFA
  • Executive committed to the Casement Park project, which has been a priority for over a decade

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Jim Allister TUV North Antrim
Northern Ireland
Context

Casement Park requires significant funding for redevelopment to host Euro 2028. There are concerns over prioritizing this project amid other pressing needs.

Question

How much funding he plans to make available for the redevelopment of Casement Park.

Answer from Hilary Benn

The Government are committed to ensuring that Euro 2028 benefits the whole of the United Kingdom. We are working as quickly as possible with all partners to assess the options on the Casement Park project.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Funding amount not specified, only commitment to assessment.

How: Commitment Without Specifics

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Q2 Sammy Wilson DUP East Antrim
Northern Ireland
Context

There are concerns about the influence of personal political connections on decisions related to Casement Park funding, amid other public health and education needs.

Question

Can the Secretary of State assure us that the Government's view has not been influenced by any personal interventions by the chief of staff of the Labour party, for whom this is a personal project?

Answer from Hilary Benn

I would say to the right hon. Gentleman that I said this was a priority because a decision needs to be made. The fact is that the Government have inherited a commitment to hosting the Euros at Casement Park. It is now a year and three quarters since UEFA awarded that right to Northern Ireland, but nothing has happened during that time to progress the project.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Does not confirm or deny influence of personal intervention.

How: Commitment Without Specifics

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Q3 Claire Hanna Social Democratic & Labour Party Belfast South and Mid Down
Scotland
Context

There is a long-standing commitment to building Casement Park, but progress has been slow despite previous promises.

Question

Can the Secretary of State assure us that Casement will ultimately be built?

Answer from Hilary Benn

I think we all wish Armagh well in the all-Ireland final. The Executive are committed to the Casement Park project—it has been a commitment for over a decade now—but it has not progressed. Windsor Park got an upgrade, Ravenhill got an upgrade and it is important that Casement Park is built.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No confirmation of completion timeline or specific assurance on hosting spectacles.

How: Commitment Without Specifics

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Q4 Jim Allister TUV North Antrim
NHS Northern Ireland
Context

Concerns over prioritizing Casement Park redevelopment amid long waiting lists for healthcare services.

Question

Will the Secretary of State explain to the 356,000 citizens of Northern Ireland who await out-patient appointments and to the 94,000 who await in-patient admissions why it seems a priority to pour hundreds of millions of pounds into a GAA sports stadium instead of fixing our health service?

Answer from Hilary Benn

I hope very much that sport will be a force for unity in Northern Ireland, rather than a source of division. When it comes to the health service, the hon. Gentleman makes a very powerful point. The state of the NHS in Northern Ireland is a function of decisions that the Executive have failed to take over many years.

Not addressed: Shifts blame from government to previous decision-makers without addressing prioritization.

How: Blame Shifting

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Q5 Rachel Hopkins Lab Luton South and South Bedfordshire
Northern Ireland
Context

The decision to host Euro 2028 was made a year and three quarters ago, but significant delays have occurred in the project's progress.

Question

Does the Secretary of State agree that we would not be in the final minutes of extra time on whether Casement Park can be rebuilt in time for the Euros if the previous Government had actually done something about it?

Answer from Hilary Benn

I agree with my hon. Friend. The facts speak for themselves: a year and three quarters since we were awarded the wonderful opportunity to host the Euros, nothing has happened on the project.

Answered
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