Dublin City Councillors have voted against allowing a former member of the Inner City Helping Homeless charity to take a seat left vacant by the death of Anthony Flynn.
Mr Flynn was found dead in tragic circumstances last August after allegations of sexual assault were made against him.
Geraldine Molloy, a community worker and former member of ICHH, was nominated to be co-opted in his place by the Independent group of councillors.
However, the issue had been deferred on a number of occasions because of the continuing controversy surrounding the charity, which has since been wound up.
Nominating Ms Molloy at the council's March meeting, Cllr Christy Burke (Ind) said she was a woman of integrity, dignity and commitment.
He said she had been the victim of false information by "political assassins outside this chamber".
Ms Molloy's nomination was supported by a number of speakers who pointed out that she had not been accused of any wrongdoing.
However, others said they had a responsibility to the alleged victims and could not support the nomination while a criminal investigation into the allegations against Mr Flynn was ongoing.
Cllr John Lyons (Ind) said he has asked Ms Molloy about her position on the allegations and she had replied she did not want to say, so he would be voting against.
Fianna Fáil, the Green Party and the Social Democrats voted against with Sinn Féin councillors, as well as those from the Labour Party and most Independents voting in favour.
The Fine Gael group and People Before Profit councillors abstained.
The voting was 26 against and 21 in favour with 13 abstentions.
