Northern Ireland at risk of dropping out as Euro 2028 host amid funding woes
The Ulster Gaelic Athletic Association chief remains confident the stadium will be built in time for the 2028 UEFA European Football Championship, despite the UK chancellor's plans to axe infrastructure funding.
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00:00This is Casement Park in Belfast, Northern Ireland, which is earmarked to host five games in the Euro Football Championships in 2028.
00:08If full funding is made available in time, it will look like this, with a capacity of 34,000 fans.
00:15However, an ongoing delay by the British government in allocating outstanding funds to develop the site
00:20could result in Belfast being dropped from the list of hosting venues across the UK and Ireland.
00:26Local public representatives say it's time for the British government to apply some urgency to the situation.
00:32I think they are very aware of the urgency. We've had conversations with the British government, with the Irish government
00:38and everyone involved, and they're aware that this is a missed opportunity that we can't simply let pass us by.
00:44The original cost of developing the ground was £76 million. That figure has now risen to £300 million.
00:51So far, a number of bodies have donated funding towards developing the ground.
00:56£120 million in total has been allocated from the Northern Ireland Executive, the Irish government
01:02and the Gaelic Athletic Association, or GAA, who own the ground.
01:07That leaves a balance of £180 million, which the British government have said they will donate towards the cost,
01:13but so far have not approved.
01:16According to the business community in Northern Ireland, outstanding funding is crucial to boost spend in the local economy.
01:23I was out in Frankfurt for the England versus Denmark game.
01:27I got a chance to talk to many of the traders in Frankfurt, and it was huge for them.
01:33And I think it would be an amazing thing to get for Belfast, for this island.
01:38The outstanding sum of £180 million to start the project now rests with the British government.
01:44In a statement to Euronews, the Northern Ireland office said the stadium will be built.
01:49However, the statement doesn't say when, meaning nobody is any the wiser when construction work will commence.
01:55In the meantime, everybody is waiting on the British government to commit £180 million or so to kick-start this project.
02:04If the British government fail to come up with the money in the coming months,
02:07Belfast will be removed from the list of cities earmarked to host the European Soccer Championships in 2028.
02:14If that should happen, it will be a lost opportunity to showcase what Belfast has on offer.
02:19It will also be a major embarrassment for all involved.
02:23In the meantime, the clock is ticking.
02:26This is Ken Murray for Euronews in Belfast, Northern Ireland.