Council said it would develop a remediation plan for the site “over the next few weeks”.

It’s unclear how long it would then take to implement that plan, when the remediation work would start, or when the building would reopen.

Asbestos was discovered in the building in October last year.

The hall has been shut ever since.

Temporary fencing surrounds the building, and signage warns of the asbestos threat.

A spokesperson for the council said asbestos was located in the ceiling cavity.

“Material identified in the main hall is in the ceiling space only,” the spokesperson said.

“Air monitoring in the main hall is clear.”

Local residents appreciate the need for caution when dealing with asbestos, but say they have been frustrated by council’s inactivity at the site.

Friends of Rathmines president Alec Howard said the council had some explaining to do.

“It’s now six months later and not only has there been no works started at the hall, there has been no explanation from the council about what their intentions are,” Mr Howard said.

A council spokesperson said safety was the priority.

“The current focus is on removal of contents. A full contaminated materials survey and remediation plan will be developed over the next few weeks,” they said.

“Council has a risk management register that prioritises testing, identification and remediation of buildings that could potentially contain asbestos. The building has been tested as part of this program.”

The contents of the hall will be cleaned and returned to users or placed in storage. 

“Asbestos-contaminated material will be removed and the hall will be refurbished to an improved standard,” the spokesperson said.

Rumours that the hall might be demolished if the repairs proved too difficult or costly were dismissed by the spokesperson: “The hall will not be demolished”.