A protest in Dublin that is stopping modular homes being built could leave more than 20 families homeless for Christmas.

Housing charity Focus Ireland is pleading with people to stop blocking the entrance to the site in Poppintree in Ballymun.

Local residents there claim they had invested €5,000 each in the site - which was meant to be developed for other social housing projects.

Roghan McNamara is from Focus Ireland, and says "the protest doesn't have any grounds left to continue":

Mike Allen, Director of Advocacy at the charity, says “I am sure the protesters are motivated by genuine concerns about the direction of housing policy and homelessness. We probably share many of these concerns. We understand there are meetings taking place early next week to resolve the concerns about the impact of these units on the planned co-operative housing.

"The core issue is that these 22 families and their children are already the victims of our failed and unfair housing policies, it cannot be right to make them the victims of protests against those policies," he added.

The Peter McVerry Trust has also called for everybody involved to engage in "constructive dialogue" over the issue, saying "this process can take place alongside the construction process which will keep the project on time and deliver these homes as quickly as possible”.