4 June 2025

SDLP Leader Claire Hanna MP has urged the Northern Ireland Executive and the UK Government to break the stalemate on funding for Casement Park.

She called for a financial commitment that matches both the cultural significance of the GAA and the economic reality of today’s costs.

Ms Hanna said the Executive’s long-standing offer of £62.5 million is out of step with the growth in its own budget - a block grant that has increased by more than 65% since 2011.

South Belfast and Mid Down MP Ms Hanna said:

“The GAA plays a central role in communities across this island. Its impact on health, wellbeing, volunteering, and community identity is immeasurable. The idea that a £62.5 million offer still stands, unchanged, despite a dramatically increased budget, simply doesn’t add up.”

Hanna criticised the DUP Communities Minister for holding the line on the outdated figure and highlighted the lack of additional funding from Sinn Féin’s Finance Minister, calling it a political choice, not a financial constraint.

“This isn’t about whether the money exists—it’s about whether there’s the will to use it.

“Just last week my SDLP colleague Daniel McCrossan MLA exposed the fact that there hasn’t been any correspondence between First Minister Michelle O’Neill or Finance Minister John O’Dowd and the Communities Minister Gordon Lyons on Casement.

“It appears that whilst some actively don’t want to see Casement Park built, others have been asleep at the wheel and failed to convert their soundbites into any action.

“The SDLP believe that a solution can be found by both NI Executive and the UK Government putting forward an approach that sees:

The Executive raise its funding offer to reflect inflation and political responsibility for delays;
And the UK Government to match that effort with a meaningful contribution of its own.

“Let’s be clear: the delay in getting Casement Park built is unacceptable. If the Executive shows its commitment through real funding, it will strengthen the case for UK investment. But both sides need to stop passing the buck.”