Environment Minister Alan Kelly has been slammed after an RTE report revealed that Dublin City Council (DCC) sought an additional €500,000 on top of an initial €4,700,000 to pay for an order of 22 modular housing units that were supposed to be completed in January this year.

Sinn Féin TD Eoin Ó Broin said the units could end up costing €243,000 each and added it has been nothing more than a PR exercise.

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He said: "It is staggering to see just how badly the Department of the Environment and Minister Alan Kelly got it wrong when it came to modular housing. Far from being a low-cost, speedy alternative to building housing, modular housing has turned into a fiasco. The Minister and his officials have sold the Council and the people a pup, plain and simple.

"Sinn Féin is not opposed to modular housing as a short term alternative to unsuitable hotel and B&B accommodation for homeless families. However, if the final cost of the Dublin City modular units is over €200,000, the question has to be asked why the Minister didn't allow the Council to buy already built homes at the same price and provide people with permanent homes."

(CD/LM)