SPORTS minister Caral Ní Chuilín has strongly denied "scheming up a grubby scheme" over the troubled Casement Park GAA stadium project.
There were tense exchanges yesterday as the Sinn Féin minister faced questions from a Stormont commitee probing safety concerns over the redevelopment plans.
The committee met to discuss a British Cabinet Office report examining the £77 million project in west Belfast.
It was launched following concerns raised at the committee in April by stadium safety expert Paul Scott.
He claimed the proposed 38,000-capacity stadium could not be evacuated safely in an emergency and warned of a potential tragedy similar to the Hillsborough disaster.
Planning approval to redevelop Casement was overturned in the High Court in December after a judge ruled it was unlawful.
Ms Ní Chuilín attended the committee alongside Denis McMahon, permanent secretary at the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (Dcal).
As the exchanges with assembly members became more heated, she said: "I didn't sit in a room with potential developers and contractors scheming up a grubby scheme with millions of pounds.
"I did it in an open and transparent way."
Ms Ní Chuilín also dismissed a claim from the DUP's Gordon Dunne that the report is a "whitewash" and described the remark as "inflammatory".
MLAs repeatedly asked the minister when she first became aware of concerns over emergency exiting arrangements for the Casement plans.
She told the Stormont committee that she "first became aware that it was an issue for some" when Mr Scott raised his concerns in April.
But committee chair Nelson McCausland accused the minister of being "asleep at the wheel".
He read out a newspaper report from June last year in which Sport NI's chief executive spoke of issues with emergency exiting.
The DUP MLA said ministers receive a set of newspaper clippings every morning and any noteworthy issues are flagged up by officials.
Ms Ní Chuilín said she was unaware of the report and accused Mr McCausland of being "deliberately mischievous".
The Casement review led by a Cabinet Office official found relations behind the scenes on the project were "broken", and it would be at least another year before another planning application could be submitted.
It recommended using an "independent mediator" to repair working relationships, and to replace senior officials from key posts in the project, including Mr Scott.
Mr Scott, who works at Sport NI, is chair of the Safety Technical Group (STG) which advises on safety issues for the stadium design.
Dcal published the review last Friday at 4pm.
Ahead of its release media were invited to departmental offices in central Belfast and given an hour to read the 50-page report containing 20 recommendations.
Newspaper reporters were then allocated fewer than seven minutes to put questions to Ms Ní Chuilín about the review.
The Culture, Arts and Leisure committee was told the GAA and Mr Scott received the report at 10am on the Friday.
Committee member Basil McCrea said he was "appalled and insulted" that the minister did not give the committee the report before its publication.
Ms Ní Chuilín said: "I didn't deliberately set out to offend or insult anyone."
The North Belfast MLA said she had "no regrets" over her department's handling of the Casement project.
But she added: "I regret that people who claim they had substantial and serious concerns didn't elevate these to my level."
