The government has come under fire for halting its plan for social homes locally.

The Journal are reporting that a stalled housing project of almost 500 social homes, which included sites in Sligo twice passed government financial appraisals.

It’s understood that Housing Minister James Brown abandoned plans over multi-million-euro costs for the project.

The social housing developments were understood to be near shovel-ready and were to be delivered under a public private partnership scheme across six sites.

Speaking in the Dáil, Social Democrats Dublin North-West Deputy Rory Hearne says the move, by the Minister, has undone what would have had many benefits at a local level.