Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has told Uefa he will push for a £310 million bailout of Casement Park to allow Northern Ireland to host matches in football’s 2028 European Championship, according to reports.
Uefa sources told The Times Sir Keir and his Labour government are keen to redevelop the site and have told senior figures in the European football governing body of their intentions.
The potential for the redevelopment of Casement Park have faced opposition in recent times. The prime minister’s chief of staff and former Northern Ireland official Sue Gray was reported to have angered government officials and ministers by “personally dominating” negotiations over a bailout for the venue, also reported in The Times.
WATCH: Fly through video of the proposed new GAA Stadium
It’s thought to have angered some in Labour who have been told there is no additional funding for new spending commitments. The Chancellor Rachel Reeves this week announced plans to axe infrastructure projects to fill a £22bn black hole in the UK’s finances.
Uefa has the final say over tournament venues but is not expected to intervene.
The cost of the stadium bailout has spiralled since the plan was first mooted, going from a starting point of £73 million.
Hilary Benn, the Northern Ireland secretary, said last week the government was working “as quickly as possible” to assess the options and insisted: “One way or another, the project will be completed.”
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Meanwhile, the GAA remains hopeful Casement Park can be built in time for Euro 2028.
Ulster GAA chief Brian McAvoy told BBC’s Evening Extra on Tuesday “there’s a bit more momentum now” around the plans.
He said: “Hopefully we can get the green light.
“It would be brilliant to have the Euros there in 2028, and that’s what we’ll aim for, but even if it doesn’t have the Euros, we will have a modern, state-of-the-art GAA stadium to bring us forward in the future.”
Casement Park has also faced opposition from some Northern Ireland politicians.
North Antrim MP Jim Allister has asked why “hundreds of millions of pounds” were going into a “GAA sports stadium” rather than the health service, citing lengthy waiting lists.