A number of Traveller families are refusing to move into new state-of-the-art homes in Hollyhill, ahead of the opening of 16 purpose built housing units on Monday.

After Cork City Council confirmed completion of the new group housing scheme at St Anthony's Park, Hollyhill, it emerged that less than 10 families have agreed to move 200 yards from a halting site to the new units.

It's thought that the problems centre around the fact that families don't want to move in until Cork City Council provides land for horses, as families don't want their horses to be on the site. They are looking for nearby land where horses could be kept.

The â‚¬5m scheme has recently been completed by contractors who have spent the last 12 months working on the units. Garda protection was provided around the clock over the last number of months.

Features in the new housing units include solar panels and stoves with back boilers to maximize energy efficiency. The families live near the Apple facility in Hollyhill and have lived on a halting site nearby for many years.

Valerie O'Sullivan, the head of the housing department with Cork City Council said, "we have listened really carefully to the Travelling community in the consultation phase and why wouldn't they come here? It's fantastic."

Fianna FÃ¡il Cllr Tony FitzGerald was at the development yesterday and said that while the new development was only part of a much bigger regeneration plan for the area, he was hopeful that all families would move in.

"It's a great opportunity of high living standards for them and I'd encourage all the families to move as there is a huge housing crisis in the city at the moment," he said.

He added that there was a wide ranging consultation between Cork City Council, the HSE and the families, and it was a long negotiation process. He said that the Terence MacSwiney sports complex would be opened on Friday and the new Hollyhill Library would be opened at the end of the month.

Lord Mayor Cllr Mary Shields expressed her disappointment at the news, saying it was "regrettable" that only four families are going to take up the offer of housing. "We are providing state-of-the-art housing and all children need that. They need to move in for the sake of their children," she said, adding, "I feel very strongly about that."

Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy said that as a member of the housing committee, he knew that "council officials have tried and tried to work with Travellers. It is very disappointing when the housing has been developed (for them). There's only so much we can do," he said.

Residents are made up of several different families with various individual requirements. The new development has the most up to date and energy efficient accomodation in line with needs. Traveller families are due to move in to the new homes next Monday and the halting site will be re-zoned for use in line with the recently adopted City Development Plan.