At its March meeting, the north central area committee, which controls St Anne's and Tolka Valley parks, considered a motion to provide allotments to local residents. However, no action has been taken yet.

"The issue in relation to allotments is with the area committee meetings to discuss, " said a council spokeswoman. "The council will have to decide whether there are feasible areas for allotments in the city."

Dublin City Council is the only local authority in Dublin that doesn't provide allotments to residents.

Fingal County Council has 200, while South Dublin Council closed its allotment in Lucan last year and opened four sites in Tallaght, Clondalkin, Palmerstown and Friarstown.

In 1999 demand for allotments was nil but in the past couple of years, both councils have acquired waiting lists of hundreds of people all keen to grow their own fruit and vegetables.

Allotments are rented out on a one-year basis and are available to all in the area, regardless of income status or garden size.

Prices vary from Euro30 for a plot in Fingal to Euro60-Euro100 for a plot in South Dublin, and concessions are given to pensioners and the unemployed.

"Working on an allotment is a form of therapy, " said Dubliner Thomas Callanan, who has worked on allotments for the past 20 years.

"It's great to grow your own food and it gives a real sense of purpose."