Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps his Department is taking to ensure Northern Ireland can host Euro 2028 games alongside the rest of the UK and Ireland.

The Northern Ireland Department for Communities is responsible for the redevelopment of Casement Park, including direct engagement with local partners on their funding contribution.

The UK Government will need to receive confirmation of the updated cost of the Casement Park project from the Department for Communities before detailed consideration can be given to allocating taxpayers' money, particularly given wider public sector funding challenges. This has yet to be received. The Northern Ireland Minister for Communities has written to me on this matter and I replied on 27 February 2024 to say that it is vital to understand what the most recent costs associated with the redevelopment of Casement Park are.