Minister facing Maze-stadium questions

Northern Ireland Sports Minister Edwin Poots will face questions at Stormont today over plans to build a sports stadium at the…

Northern Ireland Sports Minister Edwin Poots will face questions at Stormont today over plans to build a sports stadium at the former Maze prison.

The Democratic Unionist Party minister is appearing before his Assembly scrutiny committee to discuss the business case for a 38,500-seater facility for rugby, football and Gaelic games.

The study, compiled by PricewaterhouseCoopers, found that the Maze/Long Kesh site represented the best value for money when compared to a potential stadium in north Belfast or the refurbishment of the three sporting bodies' existing venues.

PWC has estimated that the stadium would cost £126 million (€167 million) to build and would need an additional £114 million investment to improve the transport infrastructure around the isolated site.

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Mr Poots has insisted those figures were theoretical and stated he was confident the project could be delivered for much less.

PA