Dublin City councillors have voted in favour of flying the Catalan flag over City Hall next month.

The vote which was put to the protocol committee in the council this morning was voted in favour of by a narrow margin of seven votes to five.

A motion was put forward by councillor, John Lyons following the violence in Catalonia last month during a vote on their independence from Spain.

The motion read:

"In solidarity with our twin city of Barcelona this council condemns the Spanish government’s repression and violence perpetrated on citizens exercising their democratic right to vote and as such, in an act of solidarity and in recognition of this universal right to democracy and self determination as established by international covenants, we agree to fly the Catalan flag over City Hall for one month."

It means that the decision will now go before the full city council at Monday's December meeting, where it will then need to be ratified with a full council vote.

Dublin TD Noel Rock hit out at the vote, insisting there are much more pressing matters in the city.

"Run out of budgets to fix roads/paths, have no clear housing plan, no clear traffic plan but, hey, flags again. Symbolism will solve all," he said online.

Online Editors