The Department of the Marine has received 400 objections to plans to reclaim 50 acres of foreshore in Dublin Port.
A spokesman for the Department of the Marine said yesterday it was not known when a decision would be made on granting a licence to the Dublin Port Company to carry out the reclamation work.
Monday was the deadline for submissions from the public. Dublin Port Company says it needs to fill in an area on the north side of the port to cater for increasing demand for foreshore and berthing facilities.
The department, in vetting the application, will consider three points: the effect of the development, if any, on the safety of navigation, interference with fishing activity, and its effect on the environment.
A department spokesman confirmed that the objections, mainly from people in the nearby Clontarf area, would be collated and a copy sent to the Dublin Port Company, to give it an opportunity to respond to the issues raised.
"The content of the objections and the content of the response from the applicant will then be considered in the context of making a decision. The advice of our own experts will also be taken into account," the spokesman said.
He said there was no deadline for a final decision and it would be impossible to say when a verdict would be announced.
The Green Party collected up to 200 signatures against the proposal.
Its spokeswoman, Ms Bronwen Maher, said the party was extremely concerned that the expansion plan would significantly encroach on the people who live in the immediate area of Clontarf.
"We have studied the environmental impact statement submitted by Dublin Port for the reclamation and the Greens believe that it will have serious implications for traffic, will result in a loss of view for residents and visitors, will result in significant habitat loss and will encroach on leisure facilities such as boating, yachting and associated water sports," she said.
"We are not at all against the expansion of Dublin Port and we recognise that the port needs expansion to cater for increased trade, but we do believe these plans need radical revision," Ms Maher added.