An emergency accommodation unit for young homeless people in Dublin city centre is to be closed by the South Western Area Health Board.
City Lodge, on the campus of the old Meath hospital, was initially set up in December 2000 to get homeless children off the streets for Christmas.
The need for emergency hostels for the homeless led to a continuation of the service, which currently provides accommodation for young people.
The board said yesterday that City Lodge was initially envisaged as a "temporary service" as the building was "considered unsuitable on a long-term basis".
A spokesman from the South Western Area Health Board (SWAHB) confirmed the unit would be closing, but that no closure date had been set.
The SWAHB are citing "best practice" as the reason for their decision to close the unit.
In a statement yesterday it said current best practice suggests that homeless children are "best provided for in their own community in family placements or in small residential units".
As a result, the City Lodge service is being reviewed by the board, which is now considering alternatives. Homeless people currently staying at the Lodge "will be assured of an appropriate long-term placement", said the SWAHB. Staff will be relocated within the Health board services.
Labour spokeswoman for Health and Children, Ms Liz McManus, spoke of her shock at the news of the closure.
"This is very serious indeed. Homelessness is a big problem for Dublin and it's much more of a problem for children now than is was in the past," she said last night.
"One of the recent reports spoke of this very problem and one of the difficulties in dealing with homelessness is getting appropriate accommodation.
"What I would say at this decision is that if they're going to close down the unit are there going to be alternative places provided for the homeless children?" she said.
"The unit should not be closed down unless alternative accommodation is organised. Are all the people currently using the service going to be put in appropriate places?"