Casement set for €50m windfall as Irish Government pledges €800m for cross-border projects

Dublin funding includes €600m funding for A5 roadTaoiseach Leo Varadkar said construction on road could begin ‘later this year’ Casement Park GAA stadium set to gain €50m€12.5m dedicated to increase frequency of Belfast/Dublin rail link to hourly servicesVisitor experience at Battle of the Boyne site in Co Meath to get €10m

It comes after the Republic announced €800m (£683m) in funding for projects benefiting Northern Ireland, including €600m (£512.8m) towards the proposed upgrade of the A5 road.

Sinn Fein’s West Tyrone MP Orfhlaith Begley said the €600 million funding commitment to the A5 road will help save lives.

Over 50 people have died on the A5 since 2006.

Meanwhile, Ulster GAA said Casement Park – which was named as one of the 10 host venues for the Uefa Euro 2028 finals – said the organisation was confident the stadium will be ready in time for the championship.

Ulster GAA President, Ciaran McLaughlin, said: “This is a tremendous boost for all GAA members today. Following on from the successful bid by the UK and Ireland to secure the Uefa Euro 2028 Championships and the recent return of the Assembly and Executive we now have a once in a generation opportunity, to further advance community reconciliation and showcase this great city to the world.”

The Irish Government also restated its commitment to build the landmark Narrow Water Bridge connecting the Cooley Peninsula in Co Louth to the Mourne Mountains in Co Down.

The money released through the coalition’s Shared Island initiative also includes €12.5m (£10.6m) to increase the frequency of the Belfast/Dublin rail link to hourly services and €10m for a new visitor experience at Battle of the Boyne site in Co Meath.

New cross-border co-operation schemes focused on female entrepreneurship and tackling underprivilege in education are also included.

First Minister Michelle O’Neill said the funding was “most welcome” and described the projects as “vital”.

“I will continue to work with all parties and the executive and with the Irish and British governments to ensure that these projects are progressed with urgency and that they all reach their full potential,” she added.

Michelle O’Neill says the announcement by the Irish Government ‘will better the lives of everyone’ that lives on this island

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said the funding for the A5 is the “restoration of a promise” the Irish Government made in 2007.

He added that while he welcomes the cross-border support it is “not the job or the responsibility” of the Irish Government to provide financial support for the provision of public services and general Northern Ireland infrastructure – that is a matter for the UK Government, he said.

On the Casement Park funding, Sir Jeffrey said the €50m does not deal with the funding gap “that exists as a result of the massive increase in costs over the period”.

“It is right that the GAA receives its allocation from the Northern Ireland Executive as previously agreed and in line with the allocations to the three supporting bodies but we cannot see how significant additional UK taxpayer resources will be available at a time when other vital public services are in need of additional resource and capital allocations,” he said.

“It will be for the UK Government to clarify its position in the coming period.”

Making the funding announcement, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said: “The return of the powersharing Executive is hugely important for the people of Northern Ireland and has brought renewed hope for what can be achieved through the Good Friday Agreement.

“The funding announced today shows our commitment to working with the new Executive, and with the UK Government, to make the island of Ireland a better place for everyone who calls it home.”

He added: “Construction of the new A5 could start later this year, which will bring road connectivity to the north-west on a par with other parts of the island.

“The redevelopment of Casement Park stadium in Belfast will help maximise the benefit for Northern Ireland of hosting games in the Uefa Euro 2028 championship, which is a major East-West project.

“We also agreed today a major regeneration of the Battle of the Boyne site, including an allocation of 10 million euro from the Shared Island Fund.

“Investment in an hourly service on the Enterprise will greatly assist the development of business and person-to-person links between Dublin and Belfast as well as all the towns on the way.

“This funding is about all-island investment, boosting the all-island economy and improving connections North and South, benefiting both jurisdictions and all communities.

“It is about understanding that, whatever the constitutional future of Ireland brings, investing in people, in quality of life, in opportunity, and for the generations to come, are all of our responsibilities and a common good we can best progress by working together.”

Tanaiste Micheal Martin said the package marked the “beginning of a new and positive chapter in cross-border co-operation”.

“The funding commitments by the Government mean strategically important and iconic projects such as the A5 north-west road corridor, and the Narrow Water Bridge, a powerful symbol and physical connection between north and south, can move forward with real ambition,” he said.

Mr Martin added: “When I established the Shared Island initiative in the Department of the Taoiseach in 2020, I was clear that for it to be successful it needed to be a whole-of-Government priority.

“As ministerial colleagues reach out to and begin visits with their northern colleagues, I am excited about the future of the initiative.”

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said now that the funding has been announced, Executive Ministers must publish delivery plans for key projects.

“The SDLP opposition at Westminster, in Stormont and in councils across the North will now be pressing for detailed delivery plans to make sure these projects happen quickly,” he said. “No more hanging about, it’s time to get things done.”

UUP MLA John Stewart added: ““In coming years, the Assembly needs to work much more closely with the rest of the UK and the Republic of Ireland to maximise every opportunity.

“We have a duty, as MLAs, to do everything we can to build partnerships, with other countries, with business and with our own citizens to ensure that we can build a Northern Ireland that delivers services and opportunities that surpass expectation.”

Alliance MLA David Honeyford said Westminster must now provide funding for Casement Park to make sure it is ready for the Euro 2028 finals.