The decision to reject a proposal to bring a massive "Hollywood production" studio to Dun Laoghaire has been slammed as "completely unacceptable".
US giant Hasbro submitted the plan to convert the old Stena Line terminal into a studio and academic facility that would regularly work on major international movies.
The plan was jointly submitted with Irish animation studio Boulder Media, which Hasbro bought in 2016.
A tender competition for the site was announced after plans for a high-tech digital hub fell through last year.
It is understood seven expressions of interest were made to Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.
The tender promised the studio would house at least 350 crew members from the first day of production, with plans to eventually increase staff numbers to 650.
Hasbro plans to use Boulder Media for a string of theatrical releases that would support the €5 million investment to revamp the Stena Line building.
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But Lisney, the estate agents contracted by the council, wrote to Hasbro in April to say their application would not be considered as they had not provided specific bank and funding details, reports the Irish Times.
It was also argued that a new grant of planning permission would be required if the project was to proceed and the application was not in the scope of the request for expressions of interest.
Local TD Richard Boyd Barrett blasted the decision and called on all proposals to be weighed up in a "fair and transparent" way.
He told Dublin Live: "It's completely unacceptable that they should reject this proposal without the public and public reps having the chance to inspect the proposals."
Ownership of Dun Laoghaire Harbour was transferred to the local authority in October last year.
The Stena Line building on the harbour has been vacant since 2015.
"The transfer should have guaranteed for the public to have a real say in what goes on down there," said Deputy Boyd Barrett.
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He added that he feared councillors would not be presented with all options for development of the harbour by council management.
He said: "If this one was ruled out of order, how many of the other seven have been ruled out of order?"
A spokeswoman for Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council said the local authority was currently assessing the submissions based on the planning permission that exists on the building.
She added: "Planning permission currently exists on the building and immediate surrounds which would allow for a variety of uses.
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"Seven Expressions of Interest were received and the Council is currently assessing a number of submissions based on the specific criteria associated with the EoI for the building.
"The assessment process is an Executive Function which is currently underway and the Council will not be making any further comment until this process is complete.
"The Chief Executive and Elected Members are all committed to maintaining and upgrading public access to this remarkable amentity and will work to maintain the medium to long-term sustainability of the Harbour in conjunction with all existing and future stakeholders while managing its existing infrastructural deficits."
