Calls for improved lighting in the Phoenix Park in Dublin have been refused after the Office of Public Works (OPW) decided it could affect the natural habitats of the park.
Last November a petition was started by Green Party councillor, Darcy Lonergan, calling on the OPW install better lighting in the Dublin park.
People said they felt unsafe using the area in the dark and wanted to be able to exercise throughout the day.
However, the OPW says the use of artificial lighting would damage the historic fabric of the park and could also impact the animals who live there and nocturnal pollination species.
The park is famously home to a herd of wild deer, as well as supporting half of the mammal species found in Ireland and approximately 40 per cent of bird species.
Ms Lonergan says now more than ever people will want to use the park for exercise, saying the decision was "a bit of a slap in the face".
The OPW says it has no plans to install additional lights within the Phoenix Park, other than the traditional gaslights.
