There has been a call for more resources to deal with 600 migrants who are due to begin arriving here from Syria and Eritrea in September.

Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald said the new arrivals would be classed originally as asylum seekers and assessed in the normal way.

It means increasing numbers of asylum seekers will be placed in Direct Provision.

Sophie Magenniss is head of the Ireland office of the UNHCR.

She said more resources are needed to speed up the processing of asylum applicants.

However she also pointed out that Ireland has coped with larger numbers in the past: