An equine technology centre in County Fermanagh, which was built nearly a decade ago but has never been used, has been criticised by the Northern Ireland Assembly for "wasting scarce resources".

The construction of the Equine Reproductive Technology Centre received £160,000 as part of a £3.3m European funding package awarded in 1996 in a bid to establish a new commercially-run elite horse-breeding programme. However, the company responsible for operating the scheme collapsed in 2001 and a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report has now revealed that the centre still requires fitting out and painting, while an attempt to lease the centre in 2003 failed after it was found it had not received planning permission.

The committee said the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, which took over the project's assets in 2003, obtained retrospective consent in 2004 and a building control certificate in 2005, but is still unable to lease the site due to additional funding needed to meet updated environmental and disability requirements. PAC chair Paul Maskey said: "To our dismay, during our most recent evidence session, we found that public funds will continue to be wasted on the Necarne lease until at least 2012 when the Department hopes to agree the termination of the lease with the Council.

"The Committee was also disappointed to learn that an Equine Technology Centre, constructed in 2000 at a cost of £160,000, has never been used. Scarce resources have been wasted, and an opportunity to help the local equine industry has been missed."