Ulster Unionist Leader, Mike Nesbitt MLA, has dismissed Sports Minister, Carál Ní Chuilín’s pathetic attempt to divert attention from his focus on when she first became aware of safety concerns at Casement Park.
Mr Nesbitt said:
“I understand the Minister accuses me of a ‘new found’ interest in the GAA. For the record, here is the history of my engagement with Gaelic sports.
“Ms Ní Chuilín was still of school age when I attended my first GAA match. Since then I have attended many games, including matches at Casement, Clones, and Croke Park, where I have been a spectator at no fewer than three All-Ireland Finals, two football and one hurling. I wonder how many All-Ireland Finals she has attended?
“As a sports reporter, I was solely responsible for enhancing coverage of the GAA on BBC Radio Ulster, ensuring parity with association and rugby union football.
“As a communications consultant representing Ulster Bank, I was a member of the core team that negotiated a sponsorship deal with the Down County teams, a fact current Ulster GAA Secretary Danny Murphy can confirm, as he often mentions it when we meet.
“As an MLA for Strangford, I have accepted invitations to GAA matches in the same way I have to matches in other football codes.
“If that represents ‘new found’ in the Minister’s mind, then it further undermines my confidence in her judgement.
“I urge her to stop trying to deflect attention from the issue and focus on being honest about what she did and did not know about the safety of the Casement plan and crucially, when she first knew there was a problem.”