It has emerged modular homes being built to alleviate the homelessness crisis in Dublin will end up costing taxpayers over €240,000 each.

The prefabricated buildings are under construction in Ballymun, with a further four developments in the pipeline.

When they were initially announced by the Minister for Environment they were said to cost €100,000.

Sinn Féin TD Eoin Ó Broin has said the rise in cost is concerning: “The latest revelations are genuinely shocking.

“We were originally told that these would be temporary homes that would be cheap to build and would provide people with relief from unsuitable emergency accommodation.

“We are now learning that they could be costing the tax-payer as much as €240,000.

“That is completely unacceptable, that money could be used to buy people permanent homes to live in.”