The Lord Mayor of Dublin Caroline Conroy has criticised opposition from Fine Gael to the removal of live farm animals from a Christmas nativity crib outside the Mansion House as an “opportunistic political attack”. However, she confirmed that the crib itself will not be gotten rid of.

Ms Conroy, a Green Party councillor, said the experience offered to parents and children at the crib in Dublin city centre had been “underwhelming” in recent years.

“People enter what is effectively a shed at one end and passively view some farm animals for a few minutes, lately behind a perspex screen, before exiting the other side,” she told a meeting of Dublin City Council (DCC) on Monday.

The Lord Mayor said she had decided there was a need for a “significant revamp”, which included removing the live animals from the crib display.

The councillor told the meeting instead a winter wonderland-style experience would be set up, with sleighs and Christmas-themed post boxes where children could pose for photographs.