An emergency motion calling for the protection of Dublin arts venue The Complex has been passed by Dublin City Council, as pressure mounts on the Government to step in before the space is forced to close.

The motion was brought forward by Green Party councillor Janet Horner and supported by councillors Fiona Connelly (Labour), Colm O’Rourke (Fine Gael) and Donna Cooney (Green Party). It was approved at a council meeting on Monday evening, just days before the Smithfield-based venue is due to vacate its premises.

The Complex received a notice of eviction on December 3, requiring it to leave its space on Arran Street East by January 14. Unless urgent action is taken at government level, the venue will be forced to close.

Announcing the outcome on social media, Cllr Horner said: “My emergency motion on saving The Complex has passed tonight on Dublin City Council. The ball is now in the court of Ministers Simon Harris, Jack Chambers and Patrick O’Donovan, to put their money where their mouth is.”

The motion calls on the Departments of Finance, Public Expenditure and Culture to make public funds available to help secure the building. According to councillors, this funding would unlock the remaining budget needed for The Complex to purchase the property in partnership with an Irish developer and convert it into a permanent cultural hub.

Plans for the site include a 500-capacity live music venue, a contemporary arts gallery, a 100-seat jazz club for the Improvised Music Company, and 16 artist studios.

Since the eviction notice was issued, widespread support has emerged for the venue. Rallies have been held outside the Dáil, while an online “Save The Complex” petition has gathered more than 16,600 signatures. A number of Irish musicians have also played benefit gigs at the venue, including Junior Brother, Curtisy, The Scratch, BIG SLEEP and Cruel Sister.

Horner described the motion as a “final last-ditch effort” to prompt Government action. “Artists are currently packing up their equipment with no idea where they will go next,” she said, adding that Dublin continues to lose vital cultural spaces.

The potential closure of The Complex would add to a growing list of shuttered venues in the city in recent years, including Jigsaw, Block T, Mambos, Tivoli Theatre, Hangar and Bernard Shaw.