Eamon Ryan has been slammed for "effectively bulldozing" the Cathal Brugha Barracks with a tweet to make way for a massive housing development.
The biggest military base in the city faces the possibility of being to be bulldozed to make way for 1,000 social and affordable homes.
The barracks, which will be 100 years old this year, houses about 1,000 army personnel and is owned by the Department of Defence.
The Transport Minister came under fire from his coalition partners in Fine Gael when a video of the Minister was posted on social media.
He said: "We can't have a situation where Dublin 2, 4, 6 or 8 are only affordable to people working in software companies, or in finance or in tech. It has to be for everyone.
"It creates a really good sense of community... that's why that land is needed for housing. The army needs barracks and we will provide that."
Former general election candidate and Councillor James Geoghegan hit out at Mr Ryan's video.
He told The Last Word: "The Government announced there would be a feasibility study on the site as to whether it was suitable for transfer for social and affordable housing.
"But what happened then was the Minister produced a twitter video where he effectively bulldozed the barracks via tweet.
"That is what has caused all the frustration, annoyance, particularly in the defence community but also in Rathmines - people who have been living in Rathmines, people who are in touch and knowledgeable about the history of Rathmines."
He added: "For a Government Minister to be so flippant about a barracks that has been in the hands of the defence forces for exactly one hundred years this year... it has turned a project that potentially could work for the city... into a real negative thing."
Cllr Geoghegan urged Green MEP for Dublin Ciaran Cuffe, who also appeared on the radio show, to talk to the green leader about a "walk back" about what he said in his video.
He said: "The problem is in respect of this barracks, that [the correct process in how to approach the development] is not what has happened. I think it would be helpful if Ciaran spoke to his leader and there was a little bit of a cooling of heads here and somewhat of a walk back of what he has put out there."
A spokesman for Minister Ryan said what was announced on Wednesday by the Government before the video was published was a feasibility study and that "no final decision has been made".
He added: "It would give our Defence Forces the opportunity to operate from a larger and better-equipped site outside the city centre, while allowing up to 1,000 low-cost, high-quality, social and affordable homes to be built in a location that is within walking distance of thousands of workplaces and schools and which has significant transport links.
"As the Minister pointed out, we cannot have a situation where only highly-paid software engineers, bankers and lawyers can afford to live in Dublin. By building high-quality social and affordable homes on this site, nurses, gardai, hairdressers, childminders and many more can continue to build their lives in this vibrant part of Dublin.”
To get the latest breaking news straight to your inbox, sign up for our free newsletter
