A5 road and Casement Park get share of 800m Dublin funding

Image source, PA

Rebekah Wilson

BBC News NI

The Irish government has announced substantial new funding worth €800m (£685m) for cross-border projects.

The cabinet in Dublin approved the plans, which include €600m for the upgrade of the A5.

It’s also allocating €50 million for the redevelopment of Casement Park in west Belfast.

Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar said: “The commitments we’ve made today are about potential for cross-border communities.”

There has been a broad welcome for the funding allocations from Northern Ireland’s main political parties but DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has said the UK government should “clarify its position” on funding for Casement Park.

Sir Jeffrey said: “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.”

Speaking to BBC Newsline, Mr Varadkar denied that the funding announcement would be unnerving for unionists.

“It has been broadly welcomed,” he said. “I think that’s encouraging. We’re keen for the projects to be ones that all communities can see themselves in.

“People in Northern Ireland just want to get on with it. It doesn’t always have to be a constitutional question. There are simple things that can make people’s lives better.”

Asked if the lack of clarity from the UK government regarding the Casement Park funding was a sign of fractured relations between the two governments, Mr Varadkar said both are committed to the project.

The multi-million-pound redeveloped stadium will be primarily used for GAA games.

But it is also due to host soccer matches in the Euro 2028 tournament.

Mr Varadkar said: “The governments in Dublin and London have worked together on the Euros.

“It would be a shame if no games were played in Northern Ireland. Both governments are committed.”

Mr Varadkar made the overall funding announcement along with his partners in government, Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) Micheál Martin and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan, at a press conference in Dublin.

He said it was “about understanding that whatever constitutional future of Ireland and Northern Ireland as a whole may be, investing in people and infrastructure, quality of life, in opportunity for generations to come”, are part of our shared future “and a common good that we can all achieve by working together”.

Referring to the A5 upgrade, Mr Vardkar said the €600m would “bring connectivity between north and south in line with the rest of the island”.

Money has also been allocated to existing projects such as the Narrow Water Bridge.

And there are plans to introduce an hourly rail service between Belfast and Dublin.

The Shared Island funding announcement includes:

Mr Martin described it as “a special and important moment”.

He said: “Iconic and strategically important projects that have been talked about for decades have either been given the go-ahead to start building or been given significant funding commitments to allow them to move forward with the help of partners, as in the case of the A5 upgrade.”

He said he was “particularly pleased” to give the green light to the Narrow Water Bridge project.

The money for Casement Park, he added, was a “major investment in the social fabric of a part of Belfast that has suffered from disadvantage over many years”.

Mr Ryan, the Irish transport minister, said the funding was “timely and important” with the return of the Northern Ireland Executive and North-South Ministerial Council begins to meet.

He said the A5 upgrade and hourly train services between Belfast and Dublin would “improve and strengthen” connectivity.

The minister said the funding was just “scratching the surface” and would deepen the connections on the island of Ireland.

Sinn Féin’s Paul Maskey welcomed the funding allocation for Casement Park.

The West Belfast MP described it as another “positive step” towards the building of a “first class, state of the art” sporting facility.

Ulster GAA has described it as a “hugely significant and important contribution”.

Tom Daly, Ulster GAA stadium board chairman, said the investment would “leave a legacy not only for the Gaels of Antrim and Ulster, but for all of society”.

The SDLP has said the Irish government’s financial commitments would “help surcharge some projects that have been talked about for years”.

Party leader Colum Eastwood called for the Stormont executive to publish its commitments to key projects.

Although he welcomed the cash announcement, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said the UK should be making commitments.

He added: “It is not the job or the responsibility of the Republic’s government to provide financial support for the provision of public services and general Northern Ireland infrastructure. That is a matter for the UK.”

Speaking before the A5 funding was confirmed, Niall McKenna from the campaign group Enough is Enough, which was set up after the death of John Rafferty in 2020, said he was “confident” the new road upgrade would happen.

He was speaking on BBC’s Good Morning Ulster programme.

“So many have been affected by death on this road [A5] – this road is quite literally killing our members and we have a duty of care to see that end,” he said.

Mr McKenna said there had been a “sea change” in attitude.

“The general public are not prepared to accept the non-delivery of it [A5] anymore,” he added.

Hamilton Hazzard, a farmer in Omagh for more than 30 years, is opposed to the A5 road plan.

“I’m probably going to lose 13% of my acreage off my farm – that’s not the whole reason why I object to it – the existing road should have been improved years ago and we’ve constantly advocated for it’s improvement.

“We are certainly against the proposed scheme, we’re not against improvement of the road – in fact we’re for the improvement of the road,” he added.

Mr Hazzard said road improvements could be made without the loss of land.

Adrian O’Hare, from the Narrow Water Bridge Community Network, welcomed the funding for the project, which he described as “one of the longest-running community-driven projects in Ireland”.

“There certainly is a great sense of relief in the area that we have finally moved on from the Groundhog Day of the tender process to what appears to be getting quite close to signing the contract,” he said.

“There was a time when we were losing faith when we thought it was a figment of our own imagination.”

The bridge will connect County Down and County Louth.

Mr O’Hare said “the economic implications for this area by crossing that water are absolutely endless”.

Monday’s announcements are part of the Shared Island Project founded by Mr Martin when he was taoiseach in the coalition government in 2020.

The Programme for Government and revised National Development Plan (2021-2030) announced by the Irish government both include substantial all-island investment.

The total all-island investment commitment is more than €3.5bn (£3bn) by 2030 with new funding worth €800m for cross-border projects announced on Tuesday. The funding is through the government’s Shared Island Fund; Project Ireland 2040 funds; resourcing for North/South cooperation; and the PEACEPLUS programme, delivered with the European Union, UK Government and Northern Ireland Executive.

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