Ulster Unionist Leader, Mike Nesbitt MLA, is calling on Stormont’s Committee for Culture Arts and Leisure to open an inquiry into the Sports Minister Carál Ní Chuilín and her knowledge of safety issues relating to the proposed new GAA stadium at Casement Park.

Mr Nesbitt said:

“The Minister is sticking by her story that she was unaware of safety issues until Paul Scott of Sport NI and the Safety Technical Group (STG) briefed the Committee on the 30th of April. I find this frankly beyond belief.

“I have asked her about safety at Casement and other grounds at Question Time in the Assembly. It was my clear impression she ducked the issue, offering to write to me in response to my supplementary question.

“The letter told me nothing, except that we all know those letters are drafted by senior officials in her Department. Paul Scott says he briefed senior officials. 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.

“They would, of course, immediately pass on the information to the Minister and her Special Advisor.

“What we have here is another Nelson McCausland / Stephen Brimstone situation, and I call on my party colleague Leslie Cree MLA and the other members of the CAL Committee to vote tomorrow to initiate 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 consirpacy. 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.”