Casement Park: Mike Nesbitt seeks inquiry into minister Carál Ní Chuilín over safety claims

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-32719704

Version 0 of 1.

The Ulster Unionist leader has called for an inquiry into the sports minister and her knowledge of safety regarding the redevelopment of Casement Park.

A safety expert told a committee that the planned 38,000-capacity Belfast stadium could not be evacuated safely in the event of certain emergencies.

He said there was the potential for a disaster like the Hillsborough tragedy.

Sports Minister Carál Ní Chuilín told the BBC she was shocked at the allegations which she refuted.

Last month, Paul Scott of Sport NI and the Safety Technical Group examining Casement, briefed the Culture, Arts and Leisure Committee about the redevelopment plan by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA).

Mr Scott said he was put under "undue pressure" to approve plans for the new ground by officials from the minister's department. He said his concerns about safety had been "largely ignored".

Afterwards, Ms Ní Chuilín said she first heard of his allegations when he appeared before the committee. She said she was "absolutely confident that had concerns of that nature been raised with my officials before I would have heard about it".

However, on Tuesday, UUP leader Mike Nesbitt said it was "beyond belief" that the minister was unaware of safety issues until the committee meeting.

"It is frankly inconceivable that a senior official in possession of the sort of briefing Paul Scott would have given, focused as he was on the possibility of a Hillsborough-style disaster in a 38,000-capacity stadium, would sit on that knowledge," he said.

"They would, of course, immediately pass on the information to the minister and her special advisor."

Mr Nesbitt has called on members of the Committee for Culture Arts and Leisure to vote on Thursday to begin an inquiry into the minister and her special advisor.

"Ms Ní Chuilín cannot be allowed to hide behind the utterly feeble, but predictable, complaint that this is all about an anti-GAA conspiracy," he said.

"It is not. It is about the safety of our people, many of whom will have voted for Ms Ní Chuilín and whose lives could have been put at unnecessary risk by a minister who, I fear, may have failed in her duty to them. We need to know."

Ms Chuilín has asked for a full review of the Casement Park project.

A new consultation process is due to take place ahead of any fresh planning application.

In an interview with the BBC, Ms Ní Chuilín said: "I was actually very hurt that anyone would accuse me and the officials of playing fast and loose with the safety of up to 30,000 GAA spectators and thousands of residents.

"I found that personally shocking, that I was aware of a Hillsborough-type scenario and did absolutely nothing about it. So I totally refute that. I also was shocked that an official from Sport NI felt that he had to go to a public committee to make allegations of bullying in the department.

"So it's important that he has the confidence that they will be fully investigated and that the public have the confidence that when that investigation is concluded any lessons that we have to learn, we'll learn them.

"But, just to be clear, safety has and always will remain paramount to me."