COMMUNITIES Minister Gordon Lyons says his skills and abilities do not extend to "magicking 300-plus million pounds out of nowhere" to fund the redevelopment of Casement Park.
At Stormont on Monday, the DUP man was asked by SDLP MLA Mark Durkan if he has any regrets over the handling of the redevelopment of Casement Park, the failure of which has resulted in Belfast being unable to host games for the Euros in 2028.
"I have to say the member is very brave in asking the question that he has just asked. He's wondering why we were not able to host any games here," Mr Lyons said.
"Well obviously we know that Windsor Park didn't have the capacity for it and he has mentioned in the past Casement. Well we all know that to build Casement in time for the Euros required cash and lots of it, and my skills and abilities do not extend to magicking 300-plus million pounds out of nowhere.
"So yes I am disappointed that we didn't get matches but maybe the Member [who was Environment Minister] for once would like to consider the role that he played in all of that as well.
"Because if you really want to we can go back to the original planning application in 2014. And why did the original planning application fall at judicial review in 2014? It was because of the member, because a judge ruled that he acted unlawfully in granting planning permission.
"He didn't take into consideration all of the relevant factors. [The judge] said it was irretrievably flawed. There is more blame to go on Mark Durkan than anybody else in this House. It was Mark Durkan who unlawfully approved the original planning."
