Maze Stadium to get go ahead to-day

[T Fearon]

About time too, I say

[Evil Genius]

"Maze Stadium to get go ahead to-day"

You do have difficulty separating fact and fiction, don't you? Poots is making a presentation to his fellow MLA's at Stormont on the proposed stadium.

It needs to be ratified by them before it can "go ahead". In particular, it needs the support of the Finance Minister, Peter Robinson, who presumably will be influenced by his fellow DUP members, at least some of them are known to have reservations over the proposal.

So my advice is don't skip lunch whilst waiting for any announcement...

[Maximus Marillius]

Will the DUP say yes to anything whilst in power sharing. Seemed to be pissed at the education ministers plans, pissed at the maze stadium idea of being built in Lisburn. One of their prominant members using his influence for Mr Seymour. FFS they haven't an ounce of sense...and worst don't seem to give a hoot about how it looks to the public. What can you expect...they sold their voters a real dummy run...so they have the face for anything.

[ziggysego]

Apparently the DUP and UUP have walked out of the meeting about the Maze Stadium this morning in protest.

[Evil Genius]

Will the DUP say yes to anything whilst in power sharing. Seemed to be pissed at the education ministers plans, pissed at the maze stadium idea of being built in Lisburn. One of their prominant members using his influence for Mr Seymour. FFS they haven't an ounce of sense...and worst don't seem to give a hoot about how it looks to the public. What can you expect...they sold their voters a real dummy run...so they have the face for anything.

True enough about their craven willingness to sacrifice any "principles" they might ever have held in pursuit of what they deem to be their own (personal?) interests. But I'm not sure how the Maze benefits them, other than a couple of MLA's in whose constituency it will be built (Ahem, Edwin Poots? Wee Jeffrey?).

Of course, they might still back it as part of horse trading with their new boyfriends in SF. However, this one might be a little harder to swallow, since it involves Robinson signing a very large cheque indeed, at a time when schools and hospitals etc are crying out for more money. And whatever else you think of him, Peter Robinson generally guages which way the wind is blowing on such matters pretty accurately.

[Maximus Marillius]

True, Robinson has proven to be a very sherwd dude, very seldom gets exposed, perhaps occassionally he lets his secterian mask down, but other than that has proven to good at his job so far, but at the sdame time he has not had to have dealt with any of the contentious issues.

[Star Spangler]

I'd rather the money was spent on having at least one decent hospital west of the Bann.  NI doesn't need this stadium anymore than any other region of the UK needs a stadium paid for by the government.

[Rav67]

I'd rather the money was spent on having at least one decent hospital west of the Bann.  NI doesn't need this stadium anymore than any other region of the UK needs a stadium paid for by the government.

Not going to argue with you about a decent hospital, but NI soccer team do need a new stadium as Windsor is a decrepit and unsafe shithole.

[Star Spangler]

Let the IFA build them one then.

[red hander]

'Let the IFA build them one then.'

Yeah, a 10,000-seater should be sufficient ... sure they can even give the contract to their chief executive

[Donagh]

"Maze Stadium to get go ahead to-day"

You do have difficulty separating fact and fiction, don't you? Poots is making a presentation to his fellow MLA's at Stormont on the proposed stadium.

It needs to be ratified by them before it can "go ahead". In particular, it needs the support of the Finance Minister, Peter Robinson, who presumably will be influenced by his fellow DUP members, at least some of them are known to have reservations over the proposal.

So my advice is don't skip lunch whilst waiting for any announcement...

Wrong, it does not need to be ratified by the Assembly, only the Minister concerned. The Brit government have already promised the additional monies to fund it, so it doesn't even need Robinson's approval, even though he would like everyone to believe he runs the show.

[T Fearon]

When will people learn? This stadium is not the exclusive preserve of the Unionist North East of Ireland soccer team. GAA and Rugby will also be tenants. All three sports bodies have signed up,uniquely, the Brits are supplying the cash (robbed from Ireland over the last 800 odd years), so why even involve local politicians? Get the Bull Dozers warmed up now, ffs

[Main Street]

What's the rush? the GAA are not desperate.

[Star Spangler]

When will people learn? This stadium is not the exclusive preserve of the Unionist North East of Ireland soccer team. GAA and Rugby will also be tenants. All three sports bodies have signed up,uniquely, the Brits are supplying the cash (robbed from Ireland over the last 800 odd years), so why even involve local politicians? Get the Bull Dozers warmed up now, ffs

The GAA and rugby don't need it and have only signed up because they don't want to look a gift horse in the mouth.  It's a white elephant and a disgraceful waste of funds when the health service in Northern Ireland is at crisis point.

[saffron]

It's a white elephant and a disgraceful waste of funds

Totally.