Communities minister pulls £40m football stadium funding plan for in Northern Ireland

Video report by Paul Reilly

Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey has announced she is unable to progress the sub-regional stadia funding plan in the absence of a first and deputy first minister.

She said the plan had always needed approval and sign off for funding from the Executive before it could progress.

The Sinn Fein minister said she was committed to delivering the programme before the end of the mandate.

"It is not my fault people walked out of the Executive," she said.

"I had aimed this was to be done before the end of the mandate, but because some walked away, this can not now be done," she said.

The sub-regional stadia programme, which was first raised in 2011 and was to provide £36.2millions of funding to football in Northern Ireland. Around £10m was to go to Glentoran's Oval stadium for redevelopment.

Another £17m was made available to other Irish Premiership clubs capable of hosting fixtures with a 5,000 capacity.

IFA Championship clubs were set to receive £3m, with up to £500,000 available to clubs who applied.

Another £3m was to provide "a single high quality facility" for intermediate and junior football and another £3m was to go toward a national training centre to "support current talent and nurture future generations".

DUP MLA Peter Weir questioned why the money would need signed off by the Executive when it had already been allocated. He said the minister had the means to progress the project.

Alliance Party MLA Chris Lyttle said it was "devastating" the money could not be moved before the end of the mandate.

He added: "We have been waiting over 11 years ... and still clubs are waiting for that vital funding.

"Clubs could do so much good work and we could really need a way through this impasse."

He said he had asked the minister to do all she can to approve the funding.

He added: "It begs the question did the DUP think through that resignation now we have a block on vital funding for football clubs and communities across Northern Ireland."

Stephen Dunne from the DUP said the move was "very disappointing" and said the minister had the authority to progress.