Sports ministers faces tough questions over Maze stadium plan

Northern Sports Minister Edwin Poots will face tough questions at Stormont today over plans to build a £240m (€318.9m) stadium project at the former Maze paramilitary prison.

The Democratic Unionist Party minister is appearing before his Assembly scrutiny committee to discuss the final business case for a 38,500-seater facility for rugby, football and gaelic games.

The fully costed study, compiled by consultants from PricewaterhouseCoopers, found that the Maze/Long Kesh site represented the best value for money when compared with a hypothetical stadium in north Belfast or the refurbishment of the three sporting bodies’ existing venues.

PWC has estimated that the stadium would cost £126 million to build and would need an additional £114m (€151.4m) investment to improve the transport infrastructure around the isolated site.

Mr Poots has insisted those figures were theoretical and stated he was confident the project could be delivered for much less.

Amid mounting concerns among Assembly members that continuing delays over the stadium project will see the North missing out on a chance to host 2012 Olympic events, Stormont’s Culture, Arts and Leisure committee will hear from Mr Poots and the PWC team that drew up the report.

CAL committee chair and Sinn Féin Assembly member Barry McElduff said the time had come for the minister to make up his mind.

Speaking in his capacity as an MLA and not as chair, the West Tyrone representative said: “At the moment we are missing major opportunities in respect of the 2012 Olympics and immediate action is needed.

“Minister Poots should get beyond first base on this issue.

“The minister has previously stated that he is prepared to act decisively on matters. The time to act is now.”

Mr McElduff urged the minister to make a firm recommendation to proceed with the stadium to the Executive.

“Minister Poots must be decisive and move the project of a sports stadium at Long Kesh forward. I urge him to bring a paper on this matter before the Executive as soon as possible. Time is of the essence.

“The debate around the Long Kesh site has been going on for well over 10 years now. The inquisition is now over, it is time for the department to act.”

However, Ulster Unionist MLA David McNarry said many questions were still left unanswered.

“The minister is going to have to do some explaining,” the Strangford member said.

“The business case is crucially flawed in my opinion.”

Mr McNarry asked why only £70m (€93m) had been outlined for a stadium in government spending plans for the next three years when the consultants said the project would cost around £240m (€318.9m).

“There are now far more questions arising than ever before in my mind,” he said.