Over £1 million sterling (€1.47 million) has been wasted on abandoned work on a Giant's Causeway visitor centre, it emerged today.
Enterprise Trade and Investment Minister Nigel Dodds said: "The Department and Northern Ireland Tourist Board became involved as a potential developer of last resort. This was at the request of the key stakeholders who were unable, over an extended period of time, to reach agreement.
A separate private planning application for the north coast site is likely to be accepted, Planning Service Minister Arlene Foster said.
"It would not be a prudent use of taxpayers' money to proceed further in the circumstances, given Minister Foster's position on the private sector planning application. The DETI/NITB project would cost in excess of £21 million," Mr Dodds said.
His department said almost £1.2 million had been spent so far.
The winning architects of the public-financed design competition, Henenghan-Peng, had been developing the design for a planning application.
There has been a lengthy delay in building a replacement since April 2000 when the old centre was destroyed by fire.
PA