We have been sticking to the rules on the number of asylum seekers we are accepting, but the German Chancellor is unimpressed.

Angela Merkel launched a stinging attack on Ireland's record after attending a disappointing meeting at the Balkans summit yesterday.

The Chancellor said EU countries should distribute the refugees among them according to the countries wealth, criticising the three countries who have an opt-out from a Europe quota system that would require them to take migrants, Channel 4 reported.

Her comments came shortly after leaders were informed about the discovery of an abandoned lorry in Austria with - what is now thought to be - some 70 dead migrants on board.

We have agreed to take 600 migrants from Syria and Eritrea over the next two years, as part of a resettlement programme.

That is in addition to a previous agreement to relocate 520 people who traveled from conflict areas to seek shelter in Greece and Italy.

Irish naval personnel were also deployed to the Mediteranean for search and rescue duties.

But Chancellor Merkel was clear in her criticism - Ireland, the UK and Denmark are not pulling their weight.

For context, the UNHCR said this week nearly 4.09 million people have left Syria alone.

They come seeking protection - relocating and resettling

While those millions desperately seek shelter, the European Union is still trying to deal with the 60,000 it said members should aim to accept.

Ireland is taking 1,120 migrants across two relocation and resettlement programmes, Denmark will accept 1,000 while the UK has invited just 2,200.

Ireland has a population of 4.6 million.

Meanwhile, 63 million people live in the UK and Denmark has a population of 5.7 million.

Relocation

Member States are struggling to deal with the relocation target of 40,000 people from Greece and Italy that they met to discuss in July.

So far, only 32,000 have been accepted by member states.

Of those, Ireland will take just 600.

The UK and Denmark have used their opt-out to avoid participating in the relocation.

The EU produced this table after its meeting this summer to show how many migrants states had agreed to resettle

Resettlement

The EU has seperately agreed to take a woefully inadequate 22,000 refugees direct from UN sites outside Europe. 

That resettlement is due to start soon.

Under that programme, Ireland had previously agreed to take 520 people, the UK said it will take 2,200 and Denmark will accept 1,000.

Member states will meet again in September to discuss the measures it can take.

Navy praised

Despite the remarks, there has been all round praise for the Irish navy.

Sailors from the LÉ Eithne and the LÉ Niamh have rescued thousands of asylum seekers from open seas this summer, as they take part in Mediteranean mission.

But it seems the government may have been relying on efforts like theirs for too long.

Direct provision

Meanwhile, there is further criticism of our system of Direct Provision, through which all asylum seekers arriving in this country must pass - regardless of their circumstances.

Asylum seekers are forbidden from working during the years-long process and must live in accommodation centres chosen by the Department of Justice.

Many of the facilities are considered to be inappropriate places for families to live on a long-term basis. 

Peter Sutherland, an Irishman and UN special Representative for International Migration, has previously called for the policy to be changed.

A working group tasked by the government with a review of the system said in June that of some 7,937 people in direct provision, 55% had been in the system for five years or more. 

Their report said nobody should be stuck in the system for five years or more.