Councillors are being urged to reject plans to sell the last remaining Magdalene Laundry in Dublin.

Fianna Fail made the call following proposals from Dublin City Council to sell the site.

A survey conducted and published by the Inner-City Organisations Network has revealed that more than 80% of residents do not want the sale of the site to be approved by city councillors.

Cllr Mary Fitzpatrick said: "This is a site with major historical significance, in state ownership and I passionately believe that the experience of the Magdalene women must be properly commemorated and the land used to provide desperately needed homes for people in Dublin Central today.

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"Ultimately, the proposal put forward fails to appropriately respect those that were incarcerated and treated so poorly in the laundry. The local community has very clearly set out their view of the Council’s proposal and this must be listened to.

"Any suggestion that the State sells this prime, urban, strategically important and public owned site reflects a complete lack of will or ambition to rejuvenate our area. I and many others locally would like to see the Covent Lands site used to provide desperately needed affordable housing in the city centre."

(CD/MH)