00:00This is Casement Park in Belfast, Northern Ireland, which is earmarked to host five games in the Euro Football Championships in 2028.
00:08If full funding is made available in time, it will look like this, with a capacity of 34,000 fans.
00:15However, an ongoing delay by the British government in allocating outstanding funds to develop the site
00:20could result in Belfast being dropped from the list of hosting venues across the UK and Ireland.
00:26Local public representatives say it's time for the British government to apply some urgency to the situation.
00:32I think they are very aware of the urgency. We've had conversations with the British government, with the Irish government
00:38and everyone involved, and they're aware that this is a missed opportunity that we can't simply let pass us by.
00:44The original cost of developing the ground was £76 million. That figure has now risen to £300 million.
00:51So far, a number of bodies have donated funding towards developing the ground.
00:56£120 million in total has been allocated from the Northern Ireland Executive, the Irish government
01:02and the Gaelic Athletic Association, or GAA, who own the ground.
01:07That leaves a balance of £180 million, which the British government have said they will donate towards the cost,
01:13but so far have not approved.
01:16According to the business community in Northern Ireland, outstanding funding is crucial to boost spend in the local economy.
01:23I was out in Frankfurt for the England versus Denmark game.
01:27I got a chance to talk to many of the traders in Frankfurt, and it was huge for them.
01:33And I think it would be an amazing thing to get for Belfast, for this island.
01:38The outstanding sum of £180 million to start the project now rests with the British government.
01:44In a statement to Euronews, the Northern Ireland office said the stadium will be built.
01:49However, the statement doesn't say when, meaning nobody is any the wiser when construction work will commence.
01:55In the meantime, everybody is waiting on the British government to commit £180 million or so to kick-start this project.
02:04If the British government fail to come up with the money in the coming months,
02:07Belfast will be removed from the list of cities earmarked to host the European Soccer Championships in 2028.
02:14If that should happen, it will be a lost opportunity to showcase what Belfast has on offer.
02:19It will also be a major embarrassment for all involved.
02:23In the meantime, the clock is ticking.
02:26This is Ken Murray for Euronews in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Comments