Dublin City Councillors have rejected plans to refurbish O'Devaney Gardens in Dublin.

Minister Alan Kelly TD and Minister of State Paudie Coffey TD have expressed their disappointment at the decision.

The refurbishment plan was part of a 20-point Action Plan on Homelessness that came from a Summit on Homelessness convened by the two Ministers early in December. The plan was subsequently approved by Government and involved an investment of €4.7m in refurbishing vacant apartments to a very high standard of accommodation suitable for families.

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Ministers Kelly and Coffey commented: "This was designed to take families out of hotel and other emergency accommodation. The proposal to refurbish the apartments as temporary accommodation was never intended as a full solution.

"The real long-term solution is to build, buy and lease more units for social housing and to reform the private rental sector to prevent further homelessness. Action under all these headings is progressing through the Government's Construction 2020 Plan, the Social Housing Strategy and the Implementation Plan on Homelessness.

"Recently, we announced details of a €500 million investment programme in social housing in the Dublin area over the next three years that will deliver almost 7,000 additional housing units. But, in the meantime, we have to provide emergency accommodation for these families while we identify sites, produce architectural designs, apply for planning permissions, initiate tenders and build houses. Money is no longer the key issue holding back housing, but actions are required all year round and not just at Christmas."

(CD/JP)