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Northern Irish sports fans’ lives at risk
Ongoing government delays to improve the safety standards at sports grounds in Northern
Ireland is putting fans’ lives at risk.
Members of the Stormont sports committee asserts that a tragedy is looming if bureaucratic
red tape continues to prevent vital maintenance work at dilapidated venues.
The revelation that while £25 million is needed to renovate grounds to bring them up
to standard, this year £1 million earmarked for these improvements was returned to
the Finance department because of a failure to allocate it properly provoked an angry
reaction.
A report by Sport Northern Ireland (Sport NI) has identified potential hazards such as:
•
A wall inside Crusaders FC Seaview ground in north Belfast that has been served
with a ‘dangerous structures notice’;
•
Crush barriers at Ravenhill rugby ground in east Belfast that do not comply with
recognised safety guidance; and
•
Fire protection measures inside the main grandstand at the GAA’s Casement Park
in west Belfast that ‘fall well short’ of recognised standards.
The report does not include Windsor Park, where major safety concerns have already cast
doubt on the viability of holding international football games at the south Belfast venue.
Sport NI, which manages the funding applications on behalf of the Department of Culture,
Arts and Leisure (DCAL), has been allocated around £7 million for improvements this year.
It has made a bid for an additional £10 to undertake more projects.
However, Paul Scott from the organisation conceded it would take between £20 to £25
million to address all the current outstanding safety issues.
DCAL officials are currently drawing up legislation that will require sports grounds in
Northern Ireland above a certain capacity to gain a safety certificate to allow them to
operate. This system is expected to be introduced later this year.
Risk Management
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