Dublin City Council's Housing Committee is meeting this evening to discuss plans for emergency accommodation for homeless families.

500 modular homes are being provided - sites for 153 of these have been identified in Ballymun, Drimnagh, Coolock, Finglas and Ballyfermot.

Critics say these areas already have issues with social deprivation.

It is expected the city council will request that other local authorities in Dublin will take the next tranche of prefabs.

Ballymun Labour Councillor Andrew Montague says he is surprised at the first sites for the modular homes:

Independent Councillor for Dublin's North Inner City, Christy Burke, says modular housing for homeless families is a temporary measure for a very serious problem, but one that offers people dignity after periods living in hotels and B&Bs.

"They're a temporary measure for a serious situation and a long term effect has to be the building of social housing," he said.

"It gives families their dignity and their integrity. They mightn't be the best in the world but they will do so we can get the building programme off the ground and up and running and take people out of hotels and B&Bs."

The Government last month signed off on a €40m investment in 500 units to combat the housing and homeless crisis.

22 of the units are to be delivered by the end of the year, with around 130 units fast-tracked to be installed soon after. The remainder are due to be delivered over the course of 2016.

The prefabricated houses in Dublin will be located at sites in Poppintree in Ballymun, Belcamp Avenue in Coolock/Darndale, Mourne Road in Crumlin, Cherry Orchard in Ballyfermot and St Helena’s Drive in Finglas.

The units will house homeless families, and are set to be located in the vicinity of key services and amenities. 

Cllr Burke said that people should not be opposed to the sites.

"Nobody should complain in relation to Modular homes being placed in any area.

"These are families who lost their homes, who contributed to the well being of this state, who paid their taxes, had their homes repossessed, evicted through no fault of their own, their children in B&Bs," he said.

Councillor Daithi Doolan, Chair of Dublin City Council Housing Committee told Newstalk Breakfast he welcomes the new homes but warned that it is crucial that modular housing is not seen as a solution in itself, but a temporary and emergency fix.

Mr. Dollan highlighted that the housing crisis is the result of long term inaction and failure over decades to provide social housing in the city. 

"We haven’t been building social housing for decades in Dublin, Consecutive governments have starved us of the essential funds to build homes,” he said. 

“We can do two things about this, we can sleepwalk our way through the crisis, or the Government can release that much promised funding to Dublin City Council to let us build homes to meet the needs of these families and the other 22,000 housing applicants.”

“Otherwise, you’re right, it’s too little too late, we’re moving the crisis from one place to another - that’s unacceptable, it’s unsustainable, it won’t work.”

Minister Alan Kelly needs “to roll up his sleeves (and) help us get funding”, Mr Doolan said.

Listen to the full interview with Councillor Doolan below

You can see a breakdown of the amount of units proposed for each site below:

• Poppintree, Ballymun - 22 units
• Mourne Rd, Crumlin - 29 units
• Belcamp Avenue - 38 units
• St Helenas Drive, Finglas - 40 units
• Cherry Orchard - 24 units