The TUV leader also said the government’s decision to allocate £50m to the GAA’s redevelopment of Casement Park had been done “on a preferential basis”. Meanwhile, former Labour sports minister Baroness Hoey has criticised the government move, saying that the same amount of money should now be spent on football and rugby. The West Belfast stadium project has been beset by delays for many years – caused initially by planning issues and subsequently spiralling costs and more ambitious plans. The move was announced as part of the government’s spending review on Wednesday afternoon. Mr Allister asked: “Why does the Chancellor think it appropriate to pledge £50 million on a preferential basis to a sporting organisation which has a political objective as its first and defining attribute? "And which has named some of its sports grounds and its trophies after IRA terrorists who brought such death and destruction to Northern Ireland while other sport organizations are required to make do with what they were allocated in 2011?” He continued: “Does the Chancellor not see and agree that £50 million could make a far better contribution to meeting housing need, and particularly social housing and sewage infrastructural needs, which in my constituency has brought much building of new housing to a halt? What is the priority when matters such as that are ignored?” The Chancellor responded: “Alongside the investment at casement Park, we've also made a record investment with a record settlement for the Northern Ireland executive in the announcements that we've set out today. “In addition to that, substantial investment in the defence sector, including in Northern Ireland, so there's plenty of money going into Northern Ireland, it now needs to be spent wisely”. The decision has also been criticised by former Labour minister Baroness Kate Hoey. She told the News Letter Casement is now being now built to a European football standard – and questions must be asked about whether that size of a stadium is necessary. She added: “Now that our government has given an extra 50 million pounds to Gaelic Athletic Association, then football and rugby deserve – and could use very well – exactly the same amount. “There is absolutely no justification for the UK Government under huge financial constraints to basically be kowtowed into giving 50 million to a stadium that could have been built many years ago without any opposition from people in Northern Ireland. “Now they're trying to build this huge, gigantic extravaganza because of the rather stupid decision of the IFA to go on with a European Championship stadium. The government should not have given in on this, because they could build a stadium, capable of what is needed for GAA in that part of Northern Ireland for much less. Football and rugby must know be given the same amount of money”, she said. GAA president Jarlath Burns said it was an “important and significant” investment from the government – adding that his organisation would engage with the NI Executive to “secure a full funding package that will deliver upon the GAA’s strategic stadium need.”