The Minister of State at the Office of Public Works has criticised the decision by Dublin city councillors to reduce the height of the Clontarf sea wall.
Kevin Boxer Moran said he is concerned that the height will not meet the "once in a 200-year flood event" criteria for defences, and that this could set a precedent.
"I have been to Wicklow and Galway where people are calling out for more flood defences. It just doesn’t make sense for people to be reducing them," he said.
Meanwhile, Dublin City Council is sticking to its estimate of between €190,000 and €230,000 as the cost of reducing the height of the partially built wall by 30cm.
A spokesperson said an allowance will have to be made for capping, which was not part of the original plan, and there will also be blue cladding at an additional cost of €300,000.
One local councillor had put the estimated cost at closer to €60,000.
