A student accommodation village in the city is set to continue housing refugees this coming academic year.
The privately owned Cork Student Village won't be open to students and will provide accommodation to those fleeing the war in Ukraine instead.
The accommodation provider said it would remain closed this coming academic year due to necessary renovations.
However, it was decided Cork Student Village is currently suitable enough to accommodate those in emergency situations.
Minister for the Department of Higher Education Simon Harris allowed the move as the complex wasn't intended to house students this year.
Local Councillor Thomas Gould called on Mr Harris to reverse the decision and house students in the accommodation.
“The Government decision is the wrong decision,” he said. “It doesn’t make sense to me.
“This is the Government’s fault, not asylum seekers or Ukrainians. This is the Government not doing their job.”
The complex on the Carrigrohane road which is close to University College Cork and Munster Technological University is made up of 60 three, four, five and six bed units.
