New NI secretary says Casement Park 'will be built'

The recently appointed caput of authorities for Northern Ireland has told BBC News NI that Casement Park “will beryllium built” but urged group to “bear with” him.

Speaking successful Belfast connected Sunday, Hilary Benn would not beryllium pressured into saying nan caller Belfast stadium will beryllium built successful clip for nan Euros successful 2028 but said “as soon arsenic I’m successful a position to make that decision, I will”.

Mr Benn, who became NI caput connected Friday pursuing nan UK wide election, described Casement arsenic "a very important programme".

However, he said location were "two issues: first is costs and there’s a definite magnitude of money successful nan cookware but it’s not enough”.

“The 2nd rumor is we’re into other clip successful trying to get it built successful clip for nan Euros," he added. "But Casement Park will beryllium built and arsenic soon arsenic I’m successful a position to make that decision, I will. You person to carnivore pinch me”.

Earlier connected Sunday, Mr Benn met traders astatine St George's marketplace connected his first nationalist outing arsenic NI caput of state.

He told nan waiting media it was a “great privilege and honour to beryllium appointed arsenic caput of authorities for Northern Ireland”.

On Saturday Mr Benn met immoderate of Northern Ireland's governmental leaders astatine Hillsborough Castle.

He met First Minister Michelle O’Neill and Deputy First Minister Emma Little Pengelly, arsenic good arsenic representatives from parties including nan UUP and nan SDLP.

On Sunday he said he was “greatly encouraged” by those discussions, adding that he wanted to build “new narration pinch nan parties of Northern Ireland”.

Mr Benn took complete nan NI caput of authorities domiciled connected Friday aft Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer became premier minister.

He said his privilege was to found a caller narration betwixt nan UK Government and nan Stormont Executive.

His meetings astatine Hillsborough Castle took spot aft he attended nan caller Labour government's first furniture gathering successful London connected Saturday.

In a statement, Mr Benn said he said he wanted to get to activity arsenic "quickly arsenic possible" and was pleased to person held first discussions pinch section politicians.

“My contiguous priorities are to found a caller narration betwixt nan UK Government and nan Northern Ireland Executive arsenic we activity together to foster economical maturation and prosperity, and to amended nationalist services," he said.

On nan arguable taxable of legacy, Mr Benn said he wanted to guarantee that location was "a strategy successful spot for addressing nan bequest of nan past" which "wins support from victims’ families and that each communities tin person assurance in, and which is compliant pinch quality rights”'

He said nan caller authorities was committed to nan Good Friday Agreement and to "the rule of consent that is astatine its heart".

In a connection pursuing Saturday's meeting, Sinn Féin said its vice-president Michelle O'Neill had told Mr Benn location was an urgent request for fairer backing and finance successful nationalist services.

Ms O'Neill was joined astatine Hillsborough Castle by a Sinn Féin delegation including Economy Minister Conor Murphy and recently returned Fermanagh and South Tyrone MP Pat Cullen.

“We powerfully made nan lawsuit for adjacent backing to beryllium provided urgently for health, acquisition and nationalist services here," Ms O'Neill said.

She said they had besides reiterated nan request for contiguous backing to beryllium released to build Casement Park successful clip for Euro 2028 and had called connected nan caput of authorities to "follow done connected erstwhile commitments" to scrap nan Troubles Legacy Act.

Describing nan caput of authorities arsenic "significantly engaged connected each nan issues," Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Gavin Robinson said nan gathering was "a very elaborate and useful hour-long meeting".

The SDLP was represented by statement leader Colum Eastwood MP and Claire Hanna MP.

Mr Eastwood said they had a "constructive meeting" pinch Mr Benn successful which they urged him to make nan transportation of "emergency assistance to our wellness service" nan astir important privilege of nan government's first 100 days successful office.

Speaking connected Sunday astir nationalist assemblage fund pressures, Mr Benn said nan Stormont Executive would request to look astatine its ain spending and gross raising.

Pointing retired that nationalist spending successful Northern Ireland is higher than successful England, he said: "There is simply a mobility for nan Executive astir really nan money is spent."

"All nationalist bodies, governments, institutions person to look astatine what they've sewage coming in, what's going retired and really they tin make nan astir effective usage of that.

"Historically, authorities successful Northern Ireland has not been arsenic bully arsenic it mightiness beryllium successful income generation."

In its dying days, nan Conservative authorities reached an interim woody pinch nan Stormont Executive connected a caller fiscal framework.

Mr Benn said backing discussions astir nan early would proceed and that "there will beryllium further money erstwhile nan main estimates are published".

"The really urgent task for now is nationalist services," he said.

"[The Executive] person a large work to undertake nationalist work betterment because pinch much backing per caput than opportunity my constituents receive, Northern Ireland has nan worst waiting lists successful nan full of nan UK.

"We guidelines fresh to springiness proposal and expertise and support because it is simply a very large task but it is an urgent 1 for nan group of Northern Ireland."

On Friday evening, Mr Benn said to nan Tánaiste Micheál Martin by phone.

Addressing nan narration pinch Dublin, Mr Benn said: “As our nearest neighbour and co-guarantor of nan Belfast Good Friday Agreement, our narration pinch Ireland is of awesome importance."

He said that “the caller UK Government will activity intimately pinch nan Irish Government to reset and fortify nan relationship" betwixt them.