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PeopleTranscript
00:00Many people were surprised when the Secretary of State, first appointed, made it his priority
00:07to deliver on Casement Park. Committing £320 million for a stadium to host five matches
00:14at a time when there are huge waiting lists to be dealt with in the health service, special
00:19needs education needs funding and social housing needs funding is an indefensible use of public
00:25money. Can the Secretary of State give us an assurance that the Government's view has
00:30not been influenced by any personal interventions by the Chief of Staff of the Labour party?
00:38This is a personal project and can he confirm that such intervention would be a breach of
00:43public standards and public life?
00:45Well, can I say to the Honourable Gentleman, what I said, it was a priority because a decision
00:49needs to be made. The fact is the Government has inherited a commitment to hosting the
00:56Euros at Casement Park. It is now a year and three quarters since UEFA awarded that
01:03right to Northern Ireland and to the United Kingdom and Ireland. Nothing has happened
01:08during the year and three quarters since then to progress the project. We're left with
01:12a situation where the cost has gone through the roof and we don't know, even if you
01:16had the money, whether you could build it in time and that is why the Government is
01:19looking at it and that's why I said it was a priority to make a decision.